Kingdom Hearts Route B
by RoyalBlueScribe
Summary: What if the Kingdom Hearts series stayed simple? What if there were no in between games, just KH1, KH2 and KH3? What if the story telling and tone of the first game stayed with the series? This is a re-imagining of what the series might have been like if Kingdom Hearts 2 and 3 had followed the story telling style of the first game. Takes please after KH1.
1. Prolugue

_Author's Notes: _

Let it be known that I love Kingdom Hearts and the entirety of the series, even though it can get silly at times. Yet, even now, I still wonder what the series would be like if they kept it simple and clean (get it?) and stayed with the original KH1's tone and story telling. For the sake of this rewrite, I put in some rules:

If a character did not appear in KH1, they will not be in this rewrite. This counts for only Kingdom Hearts original characters and not Final Fantasy or Disney Characters. This unfortunately means that I have to get rid of a lot of my favorite characters as well. There are only two exceptions for this rule.

There are no in-between games in this rewrite. That means games like Chain Of Memories, Birth By Sleep and so on will not be included. The story will start at the end of Kingdom Hearts one and transition directly into Kingdom Hearts 2 and then into Kingdom Hearts 3. So spoilers for the end of KH1. You have been warned.

I hope everyone enjoys my rewrite of the Kingdom Hearts series!

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, nor any of the Disney Characters in this story. The following is purely fan made. Please support the original work.

* * *

**Kingdom Hearts Route B**

_**Prologue: The Gateway** _

_A new journey begins when one had just ended,_

_The old had left you feeling lost and disconnected._

_The long road ahead leads to the light locked within._

_Yet you flow along the endless world not knowing,_

_Of the great connections behind you gathering._

_The world is made of light and darkness,_

_Beware the lack of balance that will be your undoing._

* * *

The road before them stretched on and on, as endless as the dreams that came to Sora deep in the night. Colorful glass beneath his feet, stars vanishing from the sky above his home, laughter from the girl he had left behind, promises to his best friend he wished to keep, all these thoughts faded from his head the moment he woke up each morning.

Days after day, on the same dirt road, in the same rolling green hills, he chased after Pluto, the king's dog, with Donald and Goofy hot on his heels. And each day the sun set and they vowed to try and catch the dog tomorrow, and finally get their hands on the king's letter, but Pluto loved being chased and ran faster each day. So Sora, Donald and Goofy ran farther and farther into the unknown plains together.

One morning, Sora woke as soon as the sunlight hit his face. With a yawn, he decided to go back to laying on the grass and sleep, but the moment he looked up into the sky, Donald and Goofy's faces appeared above him.

Yelping, Sora jumped up to his feet.

"G'morning Sora," Goofy waved.

"About time you woke up," Donald added.

His scratchy voice and the smug way he looked made Sora a little peeved. With a grin, Sora put his hands behind his head and said, "It's not my fault your snoring kept me up all night."

Donald quacked, stomped his foot, and clenched his fists. "I do not snore!"

"Hey fellers," Goofy interrupted, "shouldn't we be going after Pluto?" Sora snapped his fingers. "Oh! Of course. Which way did he go?"

"I think he's further down the road."

"Then let's go!"

Again they set after Pluto, and when they got close enough, Pluto scooped up a letter in his mouth and began running. Goofy got close, tried to body slam Pluto to hold him down, but Pluto slipped out from under him with ease. Sora ran around and tried to catch Pluto off guard by blocking his path, but Pluto evaded his arms by slipping away between Sora's legs.

Donald, ever the smallest and the slowest, tried to grab Pluto's stringy, black tail as the dog ran by, but only got a handful of air. His feathers ruffling up into tiny spikes, Donald jumped up and waved his arms.

"Waaaah! Come back here, you dumb mutt! Give me the king's letter!"

Donald had done it now. With his head ducked, Pluto gave the trio one frightened look and dashed down the road, no longer playing.

"Donald!" Sora and Goofy complained together.

But Donald was already giving chase, running as fast as his temper could allow. Down the winding, dirt road they went, until the night caught up to them and they had to stop for yet another day.

Exhausted from all the running, Sora leaned forward on his hands and knees while his companions collapsed on the grass behind them. Pluto, just a few yards ahead, sticking his behind up playfully with his tail still wagging, had evaded them yet again.

Donald rolled over onto his belly and groaned. "We'll never catch him. What if we never find out what's in King Mickey's letter?"

"We've gotta get him," Sora said, "that letter could tell us how to find Riku and the king, and how to get home."

Goofy, catching his breath, stood. "Gee, Sora, you sure don't give up easy."

Sora grinned. "What's one dog when we just took down Ansem?"

"Yeah," Donald jumped up, "we'll get him."

One moment he was energized, the next he slumped forward on the grass. Fast asleep.

"Hey, Sora," Goofy said, "maybe we aught ta get some shuteye."

Sora stared at Donald, listening to his quacking snores and let out a good natured snort.

"Yeah, we'll try again tomorrow."

Goofy flopped backward onto the grass, resting his hands behind his head and putting one knee on top of the other. Sora watched his two friends for a moment and then checked on Pluto. Several feet away, he was curled up into a little ball with the letter still close by.

"Even if we did catch him," Sora said, "would we even be able to read the letter under all that slobber?"

He leaned forward in the most exaggerated sigh, letting his fingers dangle just inches above the grass.

A dark cloud flashed over him. Standing straight, Sora reached into the light that was in his heart and made his keyblade appear in his hand. His weapon clutched tight, he turned in a circle. His eyes searched for anything that moved, looking for shadows on the ground where they shouldn't be, or dark puffs of smoke in the air. But there was nothing.

Sora relaxed and let his keyblade fade from his hand. "Just my imagination."

Yet, he couldn't help but feel as though something were coming his way. Whispers from the dark caressed his ears, but he didn't understand them, and somewhere across the worlds, on a beach where children's laughter could be heard, a girl felt an ominous breeze and an intense fear for two of her lost friends.

* * *

Deep in a dark world, where laughter and hope couldn't reach, where hungry creatures wait to scratch and bite and tear the hearts of anyone who dared to wander, a single orb of light was able to pass through. Searching for something, the light moved through a twisted, carnivorous forest of thorns and rocks, without realizing that it had passed someone. A dark hooded person blended into the shadows, watching the light pass. Slowly the hooded figure moved to follow the light, but stopped.

It was not the time. Another light was on its way, an easier target. The figure faded into the surrounding darkness, and for a moment, the orb of light shook, as though it sensed something was near, watching. Then, like a bird taking flight, the orb vanished.

* * *

Sora woke up from a nightmare. In the seconds between complete waking and half sleep, he could almost hear the voice of another boy. The moon shined bright above, and for a single, illogical moment, spurred on by the remnants of his dreams and his hopes, Sora turned around.

"Riku?"

No answer.

Sora hung his head. Of course there wouldn't be an answer and now he was too awake to go back to sleep. So he wondered for a moment. Pluto, thinking it was time to be chased again, rose up but kept his distance. Sora ignored him, walking to a part of the road that split four ways. He stood at the center of the X and looked up at the moon, wondering if his friends were looking too.

"Riku?" Sora tried again.

There was no one.

Or was there?

Cold fear tingled on the back of Sora's neck and he turned around. A hooded figure floated above the ground down one of the roads.

There was no voice, but somehow, Sora understood the being's words.

"Along the road ahead is something you desire."

Sora chased after the hooded figure, ready to call his keyblade if he must, but the moment he reached it, the figure faded into nothing. Again, he felt eyes on his back, and Sora turned. The figure was pointing down one of the four paths.

"But will you plunge into darkness to reach it?"

Sora chased after the floating black cloak, and once again it vanished. Without a word, or without looking back, he walked down the path the figure had guided him toward.

Somewhere far away, a girl rose up from the shore of a beach and walked toward a dark cave next to a waterfall. And somewhere deep within the dark, a boy drifted in and out of sleep.

* * *

Sora walked down the path, Donald and Goofy behind him, and Pluto following nervously a few steps away. Something appeared in the distance. The closer they got to it, the more the grass beneath their feet faded, turning into an eery white road that was neither glass, nor dirt, nor ice, nor stone. The sky became dimmer, no longer the brilliant blue with the moon as its pendant.

A this-way-that-way castle stood before them. Towers were built out of the back and came out of the sides of the building. Brown bricks with glowing, yellow windows stood high over Sora, Donald and Goofy.

Pluto whined, and refused to go anywhere near the castle. He turned tail and ran back down the road they had come from, vanishing into the grey, misty sky.

Donald and Goofy moved to go after him, but Sora moved toward the castle doors.

Something about the castle stirred his heart, filling it with hope. His friends were inside, he just knew it. He imagined them entering the castle, and could almost see them waiting for him within.

He pushed the towering doors open and entered. He had expected a dark and gloomy dungeon, but instead the interior was completely white, and nearly empty. He walked into a grand ballroom decorated with only two white, marble decorative pillars in the giant space. There were no windows, only one white door across the room, opposite of the entrance.

"Sora! You can't just barge inside," Donald complained as he entered the hall.

From the back of Sora's hood, a cricket jumped out, landing gracefully on the floor.

"He's right Sora, it's rude to just barge in," the cricket said.

"Gosh Jiminy," said Goofy, peeking his head around the door, "I thought we all came in here because we thought the King could be here."

"Exactly!" Sora pointed at Goofy. "I just had a feeling that Riku would be in here too."

"So did I, but," Donald tapped his foot, "none of you think it's weird that we all have that feeling?"

Goofy smiled. "A-hyuck, I think it means we're on the right path, don't you?"

Donald, Jiminy and Sora all stared at him.

"Well, maybe our hearts are telling us something's in this castle," Goofy clarified.

"Huh," Sora tapped his temple with his index finger, "that guy in the black cloak did say that something we desire is here."

_But will you plunge into darkness to reach it?_

Donald crossed his wings and raised an eyebrow. "How do you know we can trust him?"

"Do you have a better idea? Let's just explore. I'm sure we'll find something. And, anyway, if we run across that guy again, we can handle him."

As Sora and the others moved toward the door, Jiminy reached into his pocket. Removing a journal, Jiminy pulled out his pen and was about to open the journal to a blank page, to continue chronicling Sora, Donald and Goofy's travels but then...

"Sora! Oh, this is terrible!"

Sora turned, but did not get the chance to ask what was wrong. The door they had entered through, had vanished. A blank, white wall had replaced the exit. The black figure from the plains floated in front of it.

Sora, Donald and Goofy rushed to protect Jiminy, keyblade, staff and shield in hand, ready to fight.

This time, when the hooded figure spoke, its voice was clear and smooth. "Somewhere, in this castle, is a doorway that lies in between light and dark. And yes indeed, your friends are here."

"Riku and the King are here? Where are they," Sora demanded.

"On the other side of the door."

Dark smoke appeared under the hooded man, and he melted down into the floor. Sora, Donald and Goofy jerked, staring at the empty space where it had been, but then laughter made them all turn. The man in the hood stood in front of the white door leading deeper into the castle.

"Be warned. Darkness waits beyond. That is the way in Castle Oblivion. Will you still go?"

Sora's fingers tightened around his weapon's handle. "Who are you?"

A dark cloud obscured the hooded man, and he was gone, leaving behind only a flurry of rose petals where he had been standing.

Goofy went back toward the wall, knocking on it, trying to find a hidden switch that would let them go back outside, but when he didn't find anything, Donald attacked it with fire magic next. The wall did not break or crumble. Donald and Goofy exchanged a nervous look and then faced Sora. The three friends stood staring at the petals in front of the door, each too afraid to utter a word.

Finally, Jiminy spoke. "Trusting him doesn't seem like the best decision."

Sora's keyblade faded, but his sense of courage did not. "Even if Riku and the King might not be in there. We don't have any other clues, and it's not like we can go back the way we came."

"I know. But that man worries me."

Goofy puffed out his chest. "Don't worry fellers, I'm sure we can take on anything that comes our way as long as we stick together."

Donald crossed his arms. "Yeah, we can do it. Isn't that right, Jiminy?"

The little cricket smiled despite himself. "Of course! You are are strong as long you are together." A worried expression replaced his reassuring one. "Still. Be careful."

He jumped back up onto Sora's hood. With a nod to each other, the three friends went to the door at the end of the hall and opened it. White light emanated outward from behind the door, and the three friends ventured into the unknown.

* * *

**_Jiminy's Journal_**

Sora (First appeared in Kingdom Hearts, 2002): A cheerful boy that wields the keyblade. He's on a journey to find his friend Riku so that the two of them can go home together.

Donald (First appeared in the Wise Little Hen, 1934): Royal court Magician at Disney Castle. Donald's magic is as powerful as his temper.

Goofy (First appeared is Mickey's Revue, 1932): Head of the Guard at Disney Castle. Goofy is king and loyal and always ready to protect others with his powerful shield.

Jiminy Cricket (First appeared in Pinocchio, 1940): Yours truly. I am accompanying Sora, Donald and Goofy to keep track of their adventures, and maybe remind them to listen to their conscience.

Unknown Hooded Man: A figure that guided Sora, Donald and Goofy to Castle Oblivion. He's dark and mysterious. What could he want?


	2. Chapter 1: The Enchanted Bayou

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, nor any of the Disney Characters in this story. The following is purely fan made. Please support the original work.

* * *

**_Chapter 1: The Enchanted Bayou_**

* * *

"Ew!" Donald pulled his webbed foot up from the green mush he had stepped into. "What is this stuff?"

Sora looked around. The dark silhouette of trees and vines surrounded them. Fireflies glittered above puddles of green water and crickets chirped into the moist air. The ground beneath them was wet with moss, and ferns. Above, there was no white ceiling, but rather, a sky with an evening star so bright, it made the millions of others around it look like mere electric lights.

"Looks like a swamp," Sora said. "How is this inside a castle?"

He looked behind them. The white door of Castle Oblivion, completely clean and glowing an eerie white, stood out of the swamp water. It was as out of place as a vegetable in a candy shop and it reminded Sora of another door, on an island where it shouldn't have been, a door that had thrown him out of his home so long ago.

Goofy spoke, bringing Sora back to the present.

"Uh, it is just me, or is the swamp movin' toward us?"

He was right, the swamp was moving, but it wasn't the water. Logs were slowly inching toward the three of them. Something yellow caught Sora's eye and he squinted hard onto the glowing dots on top of the logs.

Eyes.

The logs jumped.

"Look out!"

Sora pushed Donald and Goofy out of the way. The poor duck fell into the water, face first, his feet and tail sticking up from below the murky surface. Goofy fell on his behind while the log, crocodile, threw itself at Sora. Yelping, and with no time to get out the way, Sora summoned his keyblade and flung it at the side of the crocodile's face. The crocodile went down, sinking into the water and out of sight, but the second crocodile was on its way, creeping closer to Donald's tail.

Donald finally righted himself, shaking his head as he came out of the water. "What's the big idea?"

"Donald, look out!"

Too late. The crocodile, as well as its partner, had circled Donald, already snapping white teeth. They lunged. Donald squealed and jumped up ten feet, and just in time too. The two crocodiles crashed into each other, leaving an opening for Goofy and Sora to charge and smack them each on the head with shield and keyblade.

"Sora!"

Goofy threw out his hand, and Sora took it. He spun in a circle, looping Sora around like a windmill, allowing Sora to smack the crocodiles a whole three times before the two oversized lizards had had enough. They slithered away just as Donald had come down.

He landed on his feet, splashing the swamp water and panting. "Thanks."

"That was magnificent," a voice cried.

Still alert, the three friends raised their weapons, looking around for the owner of the voice.

"Be quiet Naveen! They could be dangerous."

"They just drove off those two crocodiles. We could use their help."

"But-"

Goofy, ever the nicest one, was the first to lower his weapon. "Is someone there?"

"Uh," the second voice, a prettier voice, blathered, "n-no one's here, just us swamp frogs."

"Swamp frogs?" Sora repeated.

Something moved in the darkness, and before Sora could react, it was on the tip of his keyblade. A frog stood up on on two legs, his perfectly white teeth glinting as he stretched his lips into a debonair smile.

"Pleased to meet you, friends. I am Prince Naveen," the frog winked.

Donald yelped. "Talking frog!"

He slapped the frog away and it slammed flat against Goofy's shield. Flipping the shield so that it was right side up, Goody stared at the poor smushed frog.

"Of Maldonia," the frog groaned.

Something else jumped on Goofy's shield. A smaller, prettier frog pointed a very sharp stick at Donald.

"You'd best stop hurting my friend if you know what's good for you," she hissed at Donald.

The glare she gave him was so fierce, it would have made even the most misbehaved child go running and Donald, shaking, had to bow his head.

"I-I'm sorry."

Ignoring him, the frog bent to pick up her friend.

"Naveen, are you all right?"

Naveen shook his head and jumped back on his feet. "These guys are strong, no?"

"I suppose."

"Come now. We need help, yes? Besides, what can we do as frogs?"

Whatever he said must have convinced the smaller frog. She sighed and stood on her two feet as well. "My name's Tiana, this is Naveen."

"Pleased to meet ya. I'm Goofy."

Sora and Donald introduced themselves as well. Jiminy decided now was the time to hop out of Sora's hood. He landed on Goofy's shield and bowed to Naveen and Tiana.

"What brings you here then, Highness, Ms. Tiana?"

Naveen shrugged with a guilty grin on his face.

"Oh no, you don't," Tiana scolded him. "You're going to tell them everything."

"Tell us what," Sora asked.

"Brave yourselves my giant friends," Naveen said, "we are not frogs, we're humans."

Donald fell over in full blown laughter, Goofy tilted his head, while Sora had to raise his fist in front of his mouth to hide his chuckle. Yet, Naveen and Tiana waited patiently.

"Wait," Sora sobered, "you're serious? What happened to you?"

"This fool," Tiana pointed to Naveen, "got us cursed. And one thing led to another and we got stuck in this bayou."

"This is a dangerous place," Naveen said, "and we are two small, helpless frogs. We could use some protection."

"I don't see any harm in helping them Sora," Jiminy said.

"Yup. Never hurts to help out a friend." Sora pointed to his shoulder. "Hop on."

"Thanks."

With Naveen and Tiana on his shoulder, and Jiminy tucked back safe in Sora's hood, the three friends ventured deeper into the swamp as Naveen and Tiana told their story.

* * *

Under a perfect, blue starry night, a beautiful, young girl walked out under a balcony. The moonlight cast a glow on her lovely, brown skin and sparkling, blue dress, yet the young lady's eyes were full of sadness. She looked down at a picture in her hands, a poster for a restaurant that read, "Tiana's place."

"I was almost there," Tiana sobbed, and then looked up at the brightest evening star in the sky. She looked back into the lavish, pink room she had come out of, checking to see if there was anyone there. Realizing she was alone, she looked up to the brightest star in the sky, held the paper to her chest and wished.

"Please, please, please."

When she opened her eyes, there was a frog sitting on the balcony. Tiana groaned. "Very funny." She stared at the frog. "So what now? I suppose you want a kiss?"

The frog grinned. "Kissing would be nice, yes?"

Tiana screamed and skittered backward into the pink room.

"I'm sorry!" The frog jumped up on the table near the balcony. "I didn't mean to frighten you! Please, let me introduce myself. I am Prince Naveen, of Maldonia."

"Prince?" The girl looked outside, at the star hanging bright in the sky. "But I didn't wish for a prince." She raised a book high in her hands. "Who or what are you?"

Seeing the book, the frog covered his head. "Don't squish me!" Then his eyes flashed and he pointed to the book. "Wait, I know that story!"

Turning the book over, Tiana read the title. "The Frog Prince?"

She gave Naveen the book and he flipped to a page of a princess kissing a frog. He turned the page again and, on the next page, the frog had turned back into a human.

"Yes, that's the answer! You must kiss me."

"Excuse me?"

"To change me back. Come now. Not only do all ladies enjoy the kiss, but I also come from a fabulously wealthy family. Surely there's some reward you want, yes?"

Tiana looked at the picture in her hand, her dream of opening her own restaurant had been crushed, all the money she had gathered had not been enough, but now, she had another chance. If only it wasn't so...nauseating.

"Just one kiss?"

"Just one," Naveen winked.

Tiana cringed. "I can do this, it's just a little kiss." She took a deep breath and puckered Naveen right on the lips, and then found herself on the floor in a heap of blue fabric. She looked up to see Naveen, still a frog, looking down at her from the table above with his eyes wide.

How did he get way up there? She turned around and saw herself in a hand mirror. She was a frog.

* * *

"And that's the story," Tiana sighed, "this never would have happened if you," she glared at Naveen, "weren't messing with the shadow man in the first place."

"If you had been a real princess, we would have turned back into humans by now."

Donald tilted his head. "Princess?"

"The only way to change the two of us back is if Naveen gets kissed by a princess."

"So, you're not really a princess, Tiana?"

"No, I was dressed for a costume party. That's why Naveen thought I was a princess."

"That's some curse," Sora said. "I'm sure we'll find a princess to change you back. I mean, we do know a few."

Donald shushed him. "Order, Sora."

"Right," Sora said guilty. "Just stick with us. We'll figure something out."

Tiana gave him the cutest frog smile. "Thank you."

Sora rewarded her with a toothy grin.

They walked on without noticing the pair of glowing, yellow eyes that trailed closely behind, hidden inches below the murky surface. With every step they took, the sound of their feet splashing water over the lily pads became louder and louder as the world around them stilled. The crickets' chirps quieted down, the fireflies retreated from the air, the wind did not soothe their skin. Sora felt goosebumps on his arms.

Jiminy spoke next to Sora's ear. "The crickets here seem mighty nervous."

And that was the only warning they got.

The world shivered and clouds of darkness popped in the air, dark creatures jumping out of the blackness. The creatures ticked as they moved, as though made from clockwork, black shadows with yellow eyes, claws, and jagged antennae. One look at the monsters surrounding them and the three friends sprang into action.

The creatures pounced, claws reaching out, ready to dog pile the three friends. Sora jumped to the side and slashed the first wave of attackers, making them explode. A wave of lightning destroyed the next round as Donald threw thunder spells left and right, while one thump of Goofy's heavy shield was enough to smash a few shadows into dark dust.

But they kept coming, and their sheer numbers overwhelmed the trio, until Sora was knocked down into the muck and barely had time to bring up his keyblade to protect himself from another shadow. With Goofy busy shielding himself from a barrage of claws and Donald out of magic and just trying to fight the monsters off with his staff, Sora sank deeper into the swamp as the creatures converged on him.

Naveen jumped up onto Sora's chest and tried to fight the creatures back by helping Sora push them back with his keyblade, but it wasn't enough. Sora's shoulders sank below the green water's surface. One more inch and he wouldn't be able to breathe. Tiana joined Naveen but her strength was no match against the swarm of monsters that had now succeeded in pushing Sora's face completely under water.

Frantic, Tiana looked around. Her eyes caught on a thick tree branch that was weighed down by a fallen log. Without looking back, she ran to the log and waved at Naveen. She caught his attention and with a nod of his head, he stuck out his long tongue and it stuck onto the log. Tiana grabbed the tip of the branch and then gave the signal to Naveen. He pulled his tongue back, the log fell off the branch, and Tiana waited for Naveen to get out of the way before she angled the thick branch just right and let go.

The branch whipped across the swamp and smacked back the swarm of dark creatures hovering over Sora, giving him enough space for him to rise up out of the muck with the loudest breath ever. Sora whipped off the mud from his chin and then charged at the swarm of monsters. He smashed one, threw a fire spell at another, rolled out of the way of an incoming attack and then crushed another enemy.

Naveen cheered from a nearby rock as Sora, Donald and Goofy regrouped, until he noticed the pair of yellow eyes creeping closer to him from under the murky water. With a scream, he jumped as high as his frog legs would allow, just out of reach from the sharp teeth that snapped mere inches below his feet.

He tried to grab a tree branch on his way back down, but his slippery, froggy fingers slid off the surface and he was plummeting down into eager mouths. Something wrapped around his wrist and Naveen jerked in the air. Tiana held onto his hand from the branch above, but her fingers were also too slippery and Naveen felt himself slowly sliding downward.

The crocodiles below snapped excitedly, licking their teeth. A flash of blue light and the crocodiles were frozen solid. Sora and Donald charged toward them, keyblade and staff ready with fire and ice spells. The crocodiles shook off the frost from their bodies, but one look at their attackers and they slithered away, disappearing into the swamp waters once again.

Naveen and Tiana slipped, and they screamed for two seconds before they landed safely in Sora's hands.

"Gotcha!"

"Ugh," Tiana stood, "why am I so green and slimy?"

"It's not slime. It's mucous," Naveen huffed. Then he smiled. "Thanks for catching me, _mon cher_." He kissed the back of Tiana's hand.

She pulled her hand away. "Oh no, that tomfoolery may work on some other gal, but not me."

"Then why are you smiling," Sora grinned evilly.

Donald snickered.

"I-I was not!"

Naveen chuckled.

"You stop that!"

Sensing an argument, Sora said, "You guys really saved us back there. I owe you."

"That was some good thinkin' Tiana," Donald added.

Her cheeks turned pink, but then she quickly shook her head and pointed to where the attack had happened. "What were those things?"

Goofy had taken care of the last of them and had rejoined the group.

"Heartless," Sora answered. "They're bad news."

"Wait." Naveed pressed his fist into his palm. "Of course! I've seen those creatures before!"

"Really? Where?"

"When I met with the shadow man. He said he had friends on the other side and then dark shadows appeared, changing me into," Naveen pointed to himself, "well, this."

Donald crossed his arms, his feather's ruffling. "The shadow man has connections to the heartless?"

Putting Naveen and Tiana down on a nearby branch, Sora gestured for Donald and Goofy to come closer. Once the three friends were huddled up, he whispered.

"So, there's still trouble brewing, and the worlds aren't at peace after all?"

"We can't do anything about it until we find a way out of this swamp," Donald said.

"Do ya think the shadow man and the guy in the black coat we saw, are the same person?" Goofy asked.

"If there are heartless in this world, we would need to find and seal the keyhole before they do some real damage," Jiminy said.

"You're right," Sora agreed.

The meeting was over. Sora picked up Naveen and Tiana, smirking when he noticed Naveen winking at Tiana and her giggling behind her hand in turn.

"My friend," Naveen said when he jumped on Sora's head. "You have the most unusual hair."

"Uh, thanks?"

"No, it is I that should be thanking you."

* * *

In the bayou, where the marsh water got deeper and the shadows of the trees were so thick they resembled hulking giants, a decrepit river boat lay half sunken in the muck. It was there that the crocodiles had returned to. They walked over the molded, creaking wood, slithering into a room that was slanted sideways. A worn out ottoman sat in the corner of the room. A woman's shoe sat on the ottoman, the heel bouncing back and forth.

"Brutus, Nero," a singsong voice called.

If anyone had heard the nauseatingly forced sweetness in that voice, they would have had their hairs stand on end, but the two crocodiles wagged their tails, teeth peeling back in a grin. They ran toward the bobbing foot.

A woman peeled away from the shadows. Sharp, wide, green eyes hidden under layers of thick, purple eyeshadow, her skin looked as though it were stretched too tight over her narrow face, and with long, thin, red lips peeled back to show a set of rather large front teeth, she could make any child cry. Yet, the crocodiles must have found her wolfish grin endearing because they got just close enough for her to hug them.

"My darling pets," the woman sang. Then she grabbed their jaws hard and squeezed. "How dare you come back here, empty handed!"

Though her arms were long and skeletal, the woman slammed the two crocodiles hard onto the creaky floor.

"I ask you two to do one simple thing! Now look at what you've reduced me to." She leaned dramatically over her couch. "How am I ever to get my diamond now, having to rely on these two idiots?"

Someone laughed. The woman rose up from her chair, grabbing a rifle that had been leaning against her couch and pointing it in the air.

"Who's there?"

"Now is that any way to treat a friend," said a deep, husky voice.

Though the interior of the room was dim, a shadow moved across the floor. It slithered to the wall where a single candle shown flickering, weak, brown light against the old wood of the room. The shadow straightened, revealing the thin silhouette of a tall man with a cane and top hat.

"I'm here to help you get what you want." The shadow stretched out its hand, and the shape of a giant gem appeared in its palm.

The woman rose to her feet. "My diamond?"

The shadow chuckled. "Yes. Follow my advice, and you'll have what you want before midnight."

The woman tapped her foot impatiently. "Well? Get on with it?"

"Just follow the lead from my friends on the other side."

* * *

Dreams were a strange thing. Each time Sora opened his eyes, he felt as though he were forgetting something very important. Warnings and whispers from somewhere, a voice, familiar and yet mysterious all the same always spoke to him when his eyes were closed, but whenever he woke up, catching those memories was as difficult as holding onto air. Yet, there was one thing that Sora remembered when he woke up after a brief doze in the swamp: a voice he knew.

_"Giving up already? Come on, Sora." _

Sora opened his eyes to see Naveen and Tiana staring at him. He blinked and then swatted the two of them off his forehead.

"Ah! Don't do that!"

Tiana landed gracefully on his shoe, while Naveen flopped to the ground.

"You can really fall asleep in the strangest of places," Tiana tsked.

"You said it," Donald said.

Sora gave him an annoyed look, but it was totally wasted. Donald wasn't looking at his direction. Rather, he was throwing fireballs out over the grey lilly pads in the distance.

Something pat him on the head and a moment later, Jiminy, yawning, landed on the ground in front of Sora.

"Gosh. It's so dark here, that even I can't help falling asleep every so often. We should be more careful and set up a watch, just in case danger comes by."

Sora stood. "You're right, there's no time to rest when there's heartless around. Besides, we still have to keep an eye out for Riku and the king."

"What will you do when you find your friends?" Tiana asked.

"Go back home."

"And we need to go back to our castle with the king," Donald added.

"Still," Sora sighed, "I wish we had a clue as to where to find them."

"Don't worry, Sora. We just have to trust in our hearts and I know we will find em," Goofy said.

And with that, the three friends were back to exploring the bayou. The deep murky waters spawned countless heartless as the three friends twisted and turned each corner in search of the keyhole, Riku, and the King. They searched until their stomach's gave the loudest, deepest growl ever.

Donald and Goofy hung their heads, while Sora couldn't help grinning through a deep blush.

Tiana laughed. "When was the last time you ate?"

Donald groaned and fell flat to the floor. "I can't remember."

Tiana landed on the bayou floor and began looking around. Within minutes, she had found a pumpkin, a mushroom, and some herbs. "How about some swamp gumbo?"

Naveen leaned back against the roots of a tree trunk. "Sounds delicious, I'll start with a pre-dinner cocktail and something to nibble on while I wait."

"No, no, no." Tiana picked up a sharp rock. She walked over to Naveen, pulled him up and put the rock in his hands. "Royal Highness, you are going to mince these mushrooms."

"Sorry, do what?"

"Mince the mushrooms. Go on. And the three of you," Tiana pointed to Sora, Donald and Goofy, "are going to go out there and find me some okra, some parsley, and some spicy peppers. Bring those, and I promise you'll have the most delicious pumpkin gumbo you've ever tasted."

That was all the motivation Donald needed. He blurred back on his feet and ran ahead into the forest. Sora and Goofy bade farewell to Tiana and chased after Donald to begin the search.

"I've never actually done something like this before," Naveen said to Tiana as the three friends left. Slowly, he cut the mushroom into slices. "Back in the castle, everything was done for me."

"Oh, poor baby," Tiana said as she started a fire under the pumpkin.

"I admit it was a charmed life until my parents cut me off and then I realized," he looked at the mushroom sadly, "I don't know how to do anything."

Tiana giggled, picking up the chopped mushrooms from the rock Naveen had been cutting them on. "Well, you're pretty good at mincing. Keep at it and I just might hire you for my restaurant."

Naveen's face brightened. "Really?"

"Nope."

"Oh, that's not funny, that was hitting deep beneath the frog belt."

He continued to cut the next set of mushrooms with a smile on his face, while Tiana happily hollowed out the pumpkin.

* * *

It took some looking and a few more encounters with some heartless, but eventually, Sora, Donald and Goofy, each with an ingredient in hand were on their way back to Naveen and Tiana. Goofy was already licking his muzzle, and Donald looked down at the parsley in his hands dreamily, ready to bite it.

Sora poked Donald's temple.

"Oh no you don't. We have to get these ingredients to Tiana."

"Oh just one bite wouldn't hurt."

Before Sora could say no, a shrill cry shook the tree branches around them.

"HELP!"

Putting away their ingredients, the three friends followed the voice and came upon a pile of heartless. Underneath their black shadowy claws and feet was a woman and she was kicking and screaming.

Donald and Goofy charged, ramming the heartless off the woman and into the air. Sora followed up, jumping and slashing each heartless on his way down. Landing on his feet, he helped the woman up and told her to take cover while he joined Donald and Goofy in defeating the remaining heartless.

A few moments later, they stood in an empty clearing and the woman approached the three of them.

Fixing her feather boa and smoothing out her strange, red hair, the woman clapped her hands together. "Oh thank you, dears! I don't know what I would have done without you."

She leaned so close to Sora, that he couldn't help taking several steps back.

"Why are here, ma'am?"

"Ah, Medusa, Madame Medusa. I'm here looking for my deer, sweet girl! She's lost somewhere in this swamp and I came to look for her but then those creatures attacked me."

"Little girl? Why would she be out in this swamp?"

"You see, when I was a young woman, I lost a diamond in this swamp. It was my greatest treasure until my little girl came into my life. When she found out about the diamond and how much I loved it, my dear sweet thing came to this swamp to find it." Medusa put her hand on her forehead. "Oh, she came because she cares for me, but I can't imagine what would happen to her with all those creatures around! I just want her to be safe."

"Do you have any idea where she could be?"

"Yes! The underwater caves where I lost my diamond! I'm sure she's headed there. Oh what will I do if the tide comes in and washes her away!"

"We'll go look for her."

Medusa's eyes became wide. "You will? Oh thank you so much!"

"Wait, Sora," Goofy interrupted. "We can't just leave Naveen and Tiana behind. They need our help too."

"Then we'll go get them first and then we can help Madame Medusa."

"Can't you just hurry up to the caves?" Madame Medusa snapped, growling. Then her face wrinkled more as she smiled. "I am just so worried about my girl! Here."

She shoved a map into Sora's hands.

Opening it, Sora saw a picture of the bayou. The area where the swamp connected with the sea was circled in red lipstick, an arrow pointing to the location of the underwater caves.

"I will meet you at the caves. Please hurry."

She walked out of sight before Sora could stop her.

Carefully, the three friends returned to Naveen and Tiana. The scent of savory soup wafted to their noses as they got closer, all but erasing their promise to Madame Medusa.

Naveen was standing on the pumpkin with Tiana, sprinkling his minced vegetables into the soup. He winked all the while, leaning making jokes that left Tiana giggling as she cooked. Sora, Donald and Goofy gave their vegetables to Tiana and told her about their encounter with Madame Medusa while she finished cooking the gumbo.

"I see. Well, let's eat first and then head over to the caves."

With a tiny ladle made out of wood, she scooped up soup into some bowl shaped leaves and handed them out to Sora, Donald, Goofy and Jiminy. Naveen ate out of a hollowed out acorn, and the moment he finished his meal, he asked for seconds.

"That was magnificent! You truly have a gift for cooking," he said as Tiana poured him another bowl.

She blushed. "Well, thank you. Though I couldn't have done it without your help."

"Ah well, I admit, working hard for something does make it sweeter."

Donald and Goofy, having already completely slurped up their meal, leaned closer to Naveen and Tiana. They wore the goofiest, dreamiest smiles.

Noticing her audience, Tiana went back to stirring the soup, her cheeks pink.

Sora stared at the red liquid in his leaf-bowl and then brought it up to his lips. A sour-sweet, and savory soup melted in his mouth and then he completely understood why Donald and Goofy had wolfed it down. Even he asked for seconds as soon as he was finished.

As the trio ate, Jiminy looked up from his soup. "Say, Sora, do you find it strange that there's a missing girl in this swamp?"

Swallowing a mouthful of gumbo, Sora nodded. "Now that you mention it, yeah. It is strange."

"That Madame Medusa, should we trust her? She seemed a bit suspicious to me"

"She can't be all bad. She was being attacked by heartless, and if there really is a girl in danger here, I can't just leave her."

"Right," Donald agreed, "but Jiminy has a point. We should be careful."

"I say we go look fellars. It's the right thing to do. We did say we would help."

"Okay," Sora said, "we'll go check out the caves, but keep your eyes peeled."

* * *

_Jiminy's Journal_

Naveen (First appeared in The Princess and The Frog, 2009): Prince of Maldonia. He's a bit of a slacker and a ladies man, but he is also easy going and loves new experiences. After getting turned into a frog, he's traveling with Tiana to find a way to become human again.

Tiana (First appeared in The Princess and The Frog, 2009): A hard working girl from New Orleans, Tiana believes that hard work is the best way to make her dreams come true. She became a frog after kissing Naveen, and she will be doing her best to change back into a human again.

Brutus and Nero (First appeared is The Rescuers, 1977): A pair of crocodiles that haunt the bayou and picked a fight with Sora, Donald and Goofy. They are vicious and love the taste of frogs.

Madam Medusa (First appeared is The Rescuers, 1977): A gaudy woman that is looking for something in the swamp. She seems a little unstable.


	3. Chapter 2: The caves

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, nor any of the Disney Characters in this story. The following is purely fan made. Please support the original work.

* * *

**_Chapter 2: The Caves_**

* * *

Madame Medusa stood on top of a rocky shore. She smiled when Sora, Donald, Goofy, Naveen and Tiana arrived, though none of them seemed to notice the annoyed tapping of her foot, or how her lips twitched as though holding her smile was painful.

"There you are! Thank goodness you've arrived."

Madame Medusa pulled out her handkerchief and blew her nose so loudly that Donald couldn't help but grit his teeth together.

"My poor girl! I can hear her voice coming from here." Medusa pointed to an opening in the rocks. "She's in the caves below and refuses to come out until she finds my diamond. I would go in there to stop her but, I don't fit into the opening."

Fat tears rolled down Medusa's cheeks and she lost her balance, swaying back and forth, her pear shaped body bouncing with the motion.

A voice echoed from the caves below.

"Hello? Is anyone up there?"

Madame Medusa cried out. "Oh! There she is! Can you hear me, darling? Are you all right down there?"

"I don't know where I am," called the voice.

One nod from Donald and Goofy was all Sora needed.

"Ma'am. We'll go down there and look for her."

"Oh look for my diamond! It's called the Devil's Eye and it's as large as a baseball." Madame Medusa said excitedly, her eyes focusing into sharp, green needles as she narrowed her gaze. Then, just as quickly, her sobs returned. "I just know my girl will leave the caves if she has it. Oh, why does she have to be so stubborn!"

"Stay out here and watch for the tide," Sora said, "we'll be back."

Carefully, he, Donald and Goofy slipped into the hole. The rock was rough one moment and then slippery the next and Sora yelped as he slid down and down in a limestone tube until he skidded to a stop in an underground cave. Something thumbed hard on his back and Sora slammed face first into the ground as Goofy crashed into him. Donald came next, slamming Goofy down on top of Sora leaving the poor boy to slam his hand against the ground to get their attention.

"Uncle! Uncle!"

"Gosh, sorry Sora."

After helping him up, Goofy and Donald went deeper into the cave. Sora dusted off his shirt and pants. Something dripped on his nose. Looking up, he saw water dripping from the stalactites on the ceiling. The droplets echoed into the tunnels that led deeper into the caves. Seawater leaked in from holes big and small in the cave system, flooding into little lakes and underground rivers.

"Wooow," Donald whistled.

He was leaning over a pool of water and something shiny was reflecting on his face.

Getting closer, Sora peered in.

"Ashidanza!" Naveen sang.

The bottom of the puddle, deep below the surface, was shiny with gold and jewels. Donald couldn't help reaching in. He splashed headfirst into the water, and then kicked his feet. Sora grabbed Donald's webbed feet and pulled. The two of them fell hard against the cave floor.

"Snap out of it! We have a girl to find, remember?"

Donald shook the water from his head. "R-right. I knew that."

"But where should we start lookin' fellars?"

Just as Goofy asked, there was a cry from one of the cave tunnels. The three friends and two frogs hurried toward the sound, ducking and weaving through narrow passageways until they exited out into another large chamber. This time, there were piles of treasure in every corner. Donald clapped his hands excitedly.

"There's loads of stuff here!"

Naveen hopped off Sora's shoulder and picked up the nearest coin, winking at his reflection.

"And just what do you think you're doing with that," Tiana huffed, joining him on the floor.

"What? Surely, the cave can afford to let go of one."

"Exactly," Donald laughed, "one, two, or maybe a hundred."

He got close to the pile of jewels in the corner of the room, and reached for the red sparkling ruby that lay right at the top. The cave shook before he could wrap his fingers around it. Stalactites came lose from the ceiling, stabbing into the cave floor by Sora, Tiana and Naveen. Scooping up the two frogs, Sora dodged and ducked while Goofy and Donald chased after him, screaming all the while.

The cave stopped rumbling as they reached the opening to another tunnel. Above, light shone down from a hole that had opened up when one of the larger stalactites fell loose. "Hello? Anyone down there," Medusa called.

Sora looked up and saw her sticking her head through the hole in the ceiling.

"Have you found my diamon-my girl?"

"No. She must be deeper in the caves."

"Well, hurry it up! The tide is getting higher up here."

"Right." Sora glared at Donald.

Donald laughed sheepishly.

"No more distractions. We've got a girl to save."

Casting one mournful look back at the treasure, Donald followed Sora and Goofy. Deeper and deeper into the caves the friends went, lured by the distant cries of Madame Medusa's girl. With the help of Naveen and Tiana scouting ahead, the three friends were able to navigate the labyrinth of caves by squeezing through tiny passages, climbing up tough rock walls and sliding down slippery hills until they came upon a dead end cavern.

Something clattered under Sora's feet. He looked down and gasped. Donald jumped up on top of Goofy's shoulders. Bones littered the cave floor, gold and jewels glittering between the old, grey remains of countless pirates and adventurers.

"Sora, look there," Naveen pointed.

Up ahead, at the very end of the cave, something was glittering through the eye of a skull. Carefully, Sora approached it, and peeked into the skull through the eye socket. Sitting in the skull was the shiniest jewel Sora had ever seen, the glittering of the gem's facets nearly blinding him.

The Devil's eye.

He grabbed the skull, and the cave lurched. Water splashed up from the underground rivers on the sides of the caves and once again, the roof crumbled. When the shaking stopped, a child stood in the middle of the cavern.

Sora, Donald and Goofy approached her. The girl's eyes were glued to the floor.

"Are you Madame Medusa's girl?" Sora stretched his hand out to her. "We should get out of here, it's not safe."

Slowly, the girl lifted her head. Her eyes were glowing yellow.

A blast of wind sent the three friends back toward the cave wall, as dark ink dripped from the top of the girl's head down to her tiny shoes. Her black body became a blob of goo that stretched and changed shape, the blurry edges sharpening into a two headed, black crocodile that darted forward and snapped its jaws inches away from Sora's chest.

Jumping back, Sora put the Devil's eye in his pocket and summoned his keyblade. The two headed crocodile roared, revealing a heart shaped symbol in its mouth. A heartless.

The crocodile reared back, opened one of its mouths and tried to snap at Sora but was blocked by Goofy, who had jumped in front of Sora just in time for the crocodile's teeth to clamp down on his shield. With one head's mouth full, Sora jumped on the other head and smacked it hard with his keyblade.

The crocodile rolled, throwing Sora and Goofy off. The movement sent Naveen and Tiana flying from Sora's shoulders. They landed on the floor with barely enough time to hop out of the crocodile's way. The heartless regained its balance and spat out Goofy's shield, turning its head toward a dizzy Goofy and Sora.

"Blizzard!"

Blocks of ice rained down on the heartless, stunning it. Regaining their feet, Sora and Goofy charged. The three friends engaged the heartless, until Sora's knees splashed in water.

"We can't stay here much longer! The tide's coming in!"

No sooner had he said it when the heartless' jaws clamped down on Donald. He screamed, using his staff to keep the crocodile's teeth from crushing him, but the other crocodile head darted forward to try and snap his staff away. Goofy threw his shield at the heartless's jaw, trying to distract it, while Sora jumped on top of the head that was trying to swallow Donald. He jammed his keyblade into its mouth and tried to grab Donald's hand, but the head was trashing around so much he could barely hold on.

From down below, Naveen and Tiana watched the battle nervously. The crocodile eventually grew tired of Goofy's shield in his face. It threw a muscular arm in his direction and trapped Goofy under its hand.

"We have to do something," Tiana said.

"Well, you're the chef. Come up with a recipe for success!"

"Up there!"

Tiana pointed to the cave ceiling. The two frogs climbed the ceiling until they were hanging upside down above the heartless. Tiana stopped in front of a stalagmite that was cracked at the base.

"I need you to grab Sora as soon as this falls."

"Of course," Naveen stuck out his tongue.

Tiana kicked with all her might. The stalactite's crack became deeper and deeper until the entire structure shook, inches away from tearing from the ceiling.

"Now!"

Naveen's tongue darted down, wrapping around Sora's wrist and pulling him up into the air. With one more kick from Tiana, the stalactite fell, stabbing one of the heartless' heads, disorienting the creature and leaving its other head to turn and show concern. Seeing the opening, Sora called his keyblade back from within the heartless' jaw. He pulled his keyblade back over hid head and then slammed it hard onto the heartless's back as he fell.

A crack echoed through the caves. The heartless screamed, spitting out Donald into the puddly cave floor. Thrashing, the heartless' body crumbled like a sand castle turning into dust, freeing Goofy as the hand holding him down disintegrated. Panting, the three friends reunited with the frogs.

"Thanks," Donald said.

"A-hyuck! That's twice you two have saved us now."

"Really," Sora gasped, "we owe you one."

Naveen gave them a princely grin, while Tiana put her hands on her hips triumphantly, but there was no time to celebrate. The water level now up to Sora's waist.

Jiminy waved Naveen and Tiana back into Sora's hood. "We'd better skedaddle!"

The trio dashed out of the caves. Donald led the way, using blizzard spells to freeze the water that threatened to engulf them and easily sliding through smaller openings while Sora and Goofy jumped and crawled their way until they came upon the cavern with the hole in the ceiling.

The water had crawled all the way up to Sora's shoulders and Goofy's chest. They approached the slide they had entered from and felt the sudden terrifying feeling of something icy in their stomachs. The entrance had caved in. They were trapped.

There was a call from above.

"Did you find the diamond," Madame Medusa demanded.

Sora reached into his pocket and pulled out the skull that had the Devil's Eye inside.

Medusa threw down a rope. Quickly, Sora, Donald and Goofy climbed up and out of the caves, collapsing onto the wet, coral floor of the cove. The skull rolled out of Sora's hand, breaking onto the shore and revealing the diamond with. While he was disoriented, Madame Medusa snatched the diamond.

"Ah! The Devil's eye! Filled with power for its owner! It's mine at last! And you three, I must thank you for a job well done."

Sora rolled over, rage bubbling in his thoughts, until he felt a boiling terror in his gut. Medusa leered down at him, barring her overly large front teeth. She pulled out a long rifle from under her coat and aimed, her finger tightening on the trigger.

"No!"

Naveen and Tiana sprang out of Sora's hood, landing on Medusa's face and covering her eyes. Madame Medusa reeled backward, her rifle firing into the air.

She shrieked. "AH! Disgusting! Get them off! Brutus! Nero! Help!"

The two crocodiles that had been stalking them in the bayou jumped out of from under the cove water and attacked Sora, Donald and Goofy, distracting the trio long enough for Medusa to get a slippery hold on Naveen and Tiana and throw them into the water.

Sora jumped when Nero snapped at him. He leapt over the crocodile's back and grabbed the Devil's eye from Medusa's hand.

"Guys! Let's get out of here!"

With one powerful shove of his shield, Goofy threw off the two crocodiles, grabbed Donald and chased after Sora. The waves rose, ready to swallow the three friends into the sea as they raced back toward the swamp.

"Get back here, you brats! Give me back my diamond! Brutus, Nero!"

The crocodiles were catching up fast. Mid run, Donald threw a fire spell behind them and clocked one of the crocodiles in the face. It rolled in the water, trying to douse the fire, but it did nothing to stop Medusa and the other crocodile from advancing.

She fired her rifle and Sora felt the bullet whiz by his ear. They were running out of rocks and the water was too ferocious to swim through.

"Look there!" Tiana pointed to some rocks on their left side. "An airboat!"

Sora, Donald and Goofy changed directions, reaching the boat and hoping on.

Sora grabbed the controls.

Donald held onto his seat with a death grip. "Can you really drive this thing?"

"Like driving a gummy ship. Do you have a better idea?"

Letting out a sniveling wail, Donald closed his eyes and Goofy helped Sora pull the stuck lever into gear. The airboat grumbled and then roared to life as the fan began to spin. Madame Medusa was steps away, struggling to load another round in her riffle.

Sora punched it. The airboat launched forward on the swamp water, but they weren't in the clear. Seconds into moving away, Goofy felt something tug on the boat and turned around to look in horror as both Brutus and Nero had snapped down on a rope that was attached to the the underbelly of the airboat. Even worse, Madame Medusa was balancing herself on the crocodiles, sliding along the top of the water as though she were on makeshift skis.

"Uh, Sora, we've got a problem!"

Sora looked over his shoulder. "Well then do something about it!"

Donald shrieked. "SORA! TREE!"

Turning back around, Sora took a hard left, nearly avoiding crashing. Naveen whooped from Sora's hood, but Tiana's eyes were on Madame Medusa, and how she was carefully pulling herself forward on the rope. She took the initiative, landing on Donald's shoulder.

"Now would be a good time for some magic, Duck."

"That's Donald Duck! Goofy! Aim your shield at the crocodiles!"

Goofy raised his shield and waited for the signal. Orange firelight glowed on the tip of Donald's staff. Donald breathed deep, gathering energy. The glow at his staff became brighter, molten lava gathering from the air, into a ball of fire. Donald threw his arm back like a golf club ready to swing.

"NOW! Firaga!"

Donald flung his arm, and the fireball zoomed through the air. Goofy hurled his shield and it ping-ponged hard on each crocodile's head before returning back to his hand. Brutus and Nero thrashed their heads, eyeballs rolling in their skulls. Donald's firaga flew straight at a Medusa, who was too busy trying to balance on two shaky crocodiles to block it.

Her coat caught on fire and her rifle shot, completely against her wishes. The bullet struck the airboat's fan, jamming it. Sora lost control, and the airboat buckled, skidding left and right.

"Everybody jump!"

The trio dived straight into the swamp water, and just in time. The airboat zigzagged across the water, crashing into a group of trees, with Brutus, Nero, and Madame Medusa right behind it. From under the water, Sora Donald and Goofy saw the surface blaze orange. They resurfaced from beneath the water, watching the remains of the airboat as it burned and sank into the swamp.

Medusa and her crocodiles were no more.

The three friends swam back to the bank of the swam and collapsed onto the swamp floor, gasping.

"Woo, boy! Y'all sure made a ruckus," someone said.

Sora and Goofy looked around for the owner of that deep, raspy voice, but it was Donald that caught their attention. He swatted a spec of light in the air, just in front of his beak, but the light was small and tricky, and easily slipped between his fingers.

"Aw, come on now, you don't have to swat me like that!"

Sora grabbed Donald's arm. He squinted at the tiny light and realized it wasn't a light at all, but a firefly with very crooked teeth.

"Thank you kindly," the firefly bowed. "My name Raymond!" He wrote out his name in the air, with his bright behind. "But everybody call me Ray."

Naveen hopped onto Sora's shoulder. "Your accent is funny no?"

"I'm a cajun bro! What y'all doin' here?"

Now it was Tiana's turn to hop onto Sora's shoulder. "Prince Charming here, got us turned into frogs by a voodoo witch doctor and we just barely escaped from a crazed swamp hag."

Ray nodded and rested his elbow on Naveen's head. "Well there ya go."

"You are not surprised friend?"

"I have been round these parts a bit. Seen all kinds o' strange, especially with Mama Odie in the swamp."

"Who's Mama Odie," said Sora.

Ray flew up right between Sora's eyes and buzzed excitedly, "She got magic, and spells and all kinds of hoodoo."

Tiana jumped. "Wait! Do you think she can change us back into humans?"

"Shoo, of course she can! She can do lots, that Mama Odie."

"Could you take us to her?"

"Course I can!"

Naveen grabbed hold of Tiana and spun her around.

Ray put his fingers in his mouth and whistled and the trees behind him light up with a thousand stars.

Naveen stared into the lights, his eyes wide. "Ashidanza!"

"Me an' my relationshionals will show you da way! You ready to go?"

Tiana and Naveen nodded.

"Guess this is where we part ways. Thank you for all your help, Sora, Donald, Goofy," Tiana said.

"I feel like we should be thanking you guys more," Sora grinned.

Naveen bowed. "If it weren't for you, my friends, we would have been hiding from those two crocodiles forever. Safe travels. The next time we meet, Tiana and I will be humans again."

Goofy bowed back. "Are you sure you don't want us to go to Mama Odie's with ya?"

Ray buzzed up to Goofy's eyes and flew left and right.

"Now see here! Me and my family will take good care of them, for sure! Trust me."

Goofy giggled. "All right Ray." Then he went to Sora and took the two frogs into his hands. "We'll miss you, Your Highness. Ms. Tiana."

Tiana hugged Goofy's thump and Naveen bowed once more.

Next Tiana jumped on Donald's beak and kissed him between the eyes. Donald blushed.

Sora shook Naveen's tiny hand and then lifted him and Tiana onto a tree branch.

"Take care of them, Ray," Sora said.

Ray nodded and then turned to all the tiny fireflies in the trees. "All right, y'all! Let's light da way!"

Sora, Donald and Goofy saw the lights dance and watched Naveen and Tiana hopping behind the fireflies into the trees, until both the fireflies and the little frogs had completely disappeared.

"We'd better get back to the door we can through. I don't think there's anything else we can do in this world."

Before they could even move, Donald yelped up into the air and landed in Goofy's arms, bellowing, "Snake!"

Sora pulled out his keyblade, looking around. A green python slithered on the floor between his feet. Sora lifted his weapon, ready to strike.

"Now, why y'all so jumpy? Calm down. It's only Juju, my seeing eye snake."

From between the shadowy trees, a white spark of light illuminated an old woman. She practically glided over the dew covered ferns and mushrooms till she was standing on the bank with Sora, Donald and Goofy, the light emanating from her walking stick glinting off her golden earrings. The python slithered up the old woman's leg and rested across her shoulders like a boa.

"Now, which one of you children got rid of the crazy swamp lady." Sora, Donald, Goofy, all smiled nervously.

"Excuse me, ma'am" said Sora, "but who are you?"

"You can call me Mama Odie."

"Mama Odie? But Naveen and Tiana just went into the swamp looking for you!" Sora turned around. "We have to go get them."

"Don't you fret, young man. I'll find them two in no time. I just wanted to catch y'all before you left."

"Us?" Sora exchanged a look with Donald and Goofy.

"Yes. I know you're not from round here." She pointed to Sora's keyblade. "You're the keybearer. And there's something you should know."

Cold air caressed Sora's neck. "What is it?"

"There used to be a great shadow in this world, but now its left."

"You mean, the heartless we fought."

"That's part of it. No. I'm talking about the shadow man."

"The one that cursed Naveen and Tiana?" Donald asked.

"The very same. Be careful on your journey. Dangerous one that. If he's not in this world, he may be in another." Mama Odie walked past the three friends into the forest.

"Wait!" Sora called after her. "What about Naveen and Tiana. They want to become human again."

Mama Odie sang. "Prince froggy was a rich little man, he wants to be rich again, but money aint got no heart, money aint got no soul. Would that really make him happy? And little Tiana works hard for what she wants, but doesn't know what she needs." She turned to face Sora. "There's a difference between what they want and what they need. They need a princess' kiss to become human again, but there are no more princesses left in this world."

Donald and Goofy hung their heads and groaned a very sad groan.

"But they worked so hard to find you!"

"Now calm down. I never said there isn't a way to break the spell. You listen to your mama now." Mama Odie smiled mischievously. "I'm sure you've noticed, haven't you?"

"Noticed what?"

"That Miss Froggy and Prince Froggy may already have everything they need to change back?"

Goofy covered his mouth. Deep, chuckles escaped from between his fingers. Donald let out a long, "oooh" and then joined in on the laugher. Sora frowned.

"But, you said only a princess's kiss would change them back."

"Uh huh, and whoever becomes Prince Froggy's wife will be a," she put out her hand, inviting Sora to complete the sentence.

But Sora didn't need to finish her thought. His chest filled with warmth as he remembered how Tiana blushed, how Naveen loved her cooking, and, in his heart, he knew they would be all right.

"Right. Thanks, Mama Odie."

"Oh, and one more thing." With her walking stick, Mama Odie pointed upward toward the sky.

Up above, the brightest star in the sky flickered. Sora stared at it, watching it glow brighter and brighter until the light from the star slowly morphed into a familiar shape. A transparent keyhole hung in the sky. Automatically, Sora felt his keyblade materialize in his hands. He aimed it toward the sky, and a beam of light shot out, piercing the heavens and connecting with the keyhole. A clicking sound echoed across the sky and a sense of peace enveloped the world and the keyhole was locked tight.

* * *

Bang. Bang. Bang. The door wouldn't budge. Knocking hadn't worked, pulling hadn't worked, neither did kicking it with all her strength. She had even tried asking nicely! Worse, after days of trying to force it open, the door was perfectly pristine, as though it had never been touched.

Panting, Kairi sat down onto the cave floor and leaned her head back. Up above her was a tiny opening that let sunlight through. She looked around the cave walls, at all the pictures that the children on the island had scribbled onto the walls. There really was nothing extraordinary or strange on the island, except for this cave, and the strange door on the wall that had no knob or keyhole.

Kairi knew that door. It had thrown her off the island, the same dark night her world had been destroyed and her heart had sought refuge inside of Sora's. She was sure this was her way to other worlds. A way off the island. A raft wasn't good enough.

She stared at the scribbles on the walls, her eyes falling, for the thousandth time, on picture she and Sora and drawn together when they were little.

"I won't give up, Sora," she huffed and puffed, "I'll find you and Riku. Somehow."

Defeated for another day, but refusing to give up, Kairi left the cave with the mysterious door and exited out into the sunny day above the Destiny Islands. She stood in front of the little entrance to the secret cave, watching two boys on the beach.

They were throwing a ball back and forth on the shore. A little ways away, a girl in a yellow sundress sat on a the tiny pier, watching the two boys with a shake of her head.

Kairi walked down to the pier and sat down next to the girl. They sat in silence for a while, staring out into the waves. Kairi smiled, thinking about the day she and Sora had sat there, talking about what they would do when they got to see other worlds together. And now he was off out there, searching all the worlds without her.

The girl curled her brown hair with her finger. "You've been going to that cave a lot lately."

Kairi watched the two boys aggressively thrown their ball back and forth. The smaller of the two boys was attempting to kick the ball back to his friend in the middle of a headstand, except he kept missing and falling onto his back in the sand.

"What are Tidus and Wakka trying to do?" Kairi asked the girl.

"Trying to come up with a new ball game. I wish," the girl covered her mouth, "never mind."

Kairi smiled, even though her heart ached. "I know. You wish that Sora and Riku were here to help them with their game."

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Selphie. I'm sure they'll be back someday. I'm sure of it."

"How can you be so sure?"

"We came back didn't we?" Kairi nudged her. "So there has to be a way for them to come back home too." Then to herself, Kairi said, "I have to keep believing that."

Selphie picked up the jump rope that was sitting at her side. "I hope so. I'm going to go help those two dummies before they lose their ball in the ocean!"

Kairi watched Selphie join Tidus and Wakka, watched the three of them play until the sun set, and then said goodbye when they each rode off to the main island in their boats. Alone, she stared out into the sea, remembering how the world reshaped itself after Sora and his friends had put it back together.

She had seen him, standing on the edge of the horizon before the sky reappeared and he was swallowed up by the sun. What was beyond their world, Kairi wondered. What world was the closest to theirs?

A lonely, perfectly round, island stood out of the water to her left. On the island was a tree, and on the tree were sweet, star shaped fruit. Legends said that if two people share the fruit, their destinies were intertwined and they would remain part of each other's lives, no matter what.

"No matter what." Kairi faced the entrance to the hidden cave.

Night was coming, and even though she would be in trouble for not going back to the main island, Kairi just had a feeling that the dark of the night would open the door. She entered the cave just as the sun completely set behind her.

* * *

**_Jiminy's Journal_**

Mama Odie (First Appeared in the Princess and the Frog, 2009): A kind, blind old vodoo priestess that lives in the Bayou with her seeing eye snake, Juju. She's zany and wise and won't give you want you want but will remind you about what you need.

Ray (First Appeared in The Princess and the Frog, 2009): A brave little Cajun firefly that lights up the bayou with his shiny behind. He's a reliable guide.

Kairi (First Appeared in Kingdom Hearts, 2002): Sora's childhood friend and one of the seven princesses of heart. She returned to the destiny islands after Sora's last adventure.

Tidus (First Appeared in Final Fantasy X, 2001): An energetic boy that lives on the Destiny Islands. He's always challenging Sora and Riku to practice fights.

Wakka (First Appeared in Final Fantasy X, 2001): A chill boy that likes to watch the beach at Destiny Islands. He's really good at ball games.

Selphie (First Appeared in Final Fantasy VIII, 1999): A cheerful girl that always sits on the pier, watching the sea. She acts like she's in charge of the other kids a lot of the time.

Pluto (First Appeared in The Chain Gang, 1930): The King's dog and best friend. Pluto is playful and mischievious and has a habit of popping up when you least expect him.


	4. Chapter 3: Little London

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy or any of the Disney/Square Enix characters that appear in this work. Please support the original releases.

* * *

Chapter 3: Little London

* * *

"What tiresome little beasts."

Green smoke swirled around in the air, creating a circle. In the middle of the circle, like a window to another world, was the image of the Castle Oblivion's great hall. A boy, a duck and a dog walked out of the castle's dimensional door and looked around the empty space.

"Those fools. And to think they have no idea what they've stepped into."

There was a pompous cackle, followed by another puff of sickening smoke. A woman stood in front of the circle in the air. She smelled of death, both from the cigarette balanced on its holder between her bony fingers and from her puffy, white fur coat, which did nothing except make her skeletal figure look much bigger then it really was.

"Boorish woman. Extinguish that infernal instrument of suffocation."

The fur clad woman turned sharply toward the speaker. A thin, old man in long, black minister's robes turned up his long, crooked nose at her.

"Boorish?" The woman growled. "You're wearing that silly dress and hat and you call me boorish?"

Fury sparked in the man's narrowed eyes, but he did not let his emotions get the better of him. Instead, he elegantly put his fingertips together. "I am not here to partake in your petty goals. I have a much more sacred quest. Spare me the childish squabbling."

Another figure glided into the room, this one even smokier then the woman. Except the smoke came from his black robe, which flowed and swirled at the hem like ashes in the wind. On top of his long head was a blue fire instead of hair. He smiled, revealing a row of shark teeth.

"Can't get any more sacred then me, your holiness." The fire-headed man bowed. Then he turned toward the woman. "I suggest you don't underestimate those brats."

"What can one measly child do?"

"This ain't my first rodeo, ya gaudy fashionista. That little squirt there and his keyblade are annoying news."

The woman shook her cigarette at the man. "I will not be outdone by a child, an overgrown water fowl and a mongrel."

She had to pause to take a breath, on the verge of another complaint, but she did not get the chance to speak. Her smoke window disappeared, obscuring the view of Sora and his friends. The white void that they stood in dimmed slightly as a shadow without an owner moved over the floor. The shadow laughed silently on the ground, circled the woman and the two men before reattaching to a pair of black and white suede shoes.

A lanky man strutted into the space, his cane tapping along with his steps. His shadow did not match his movements. Rather then walking, it danced on the ground as though taunting the rest of the group.

The man bowed, tipping his feathered top hat, revealing a thick head of hair. He wore a maroon, undertaker tailcoat, and a purple vest that seemed too small for him as his midriff was bare. When he spoke, his voice was smooth and throaty, reverberating like a bass cello.

"Now gentleman, and lady, of course. I didn't call you all here for some meaningless squabbling, now did I?"

"No, you promised something in return," said the old man, "and you have yet to keep your end of the bargain."

"Now, Your Grace," the smooth man bowed, "I am a man of my word."

"I do not tolerate witchcraft or those that live outside of the Holy Kingdom of God. Your 'friends' aid had better be worth it."

When the shadow man rose, there was a misty mischievousness in his violet eyes. "Such darkness, Your Grace. I assure my friends will give you exactly what's coming to you."

* * *

Sora, Donald and Goofy had entered through the door from the Enchanted Bayou's side and had exited out back into the room they had started in back at Castle Oblivion. Nothing had changed since they left it. The exit hadn't magically reappeared and the only way out of the room was the same door they had just entered from.

Donald and Goofy spoke to each other, while Sora went to each corner of the room, looking for a switch or mechanism. Unfortunately, the walls were perfectly smooth and hospital white; there wasn't a spec of dust out of place that could give him even a hint of a possible secret passage. He tried to knock over one of the decorative pillars in the room, too see if there was anything underneath, but found that it was bolted to the floor. Whacking it with his keyblade hadn't worked, either. He had only succeeded in breaking off a piece of the pillar.

"Something's screwy," Donald began. "How come that door leads to another world? Why were there heartless in there?"

"We may have stopped Ansem, but it's not like we got rid of the darkness." Sora summoned his keyblade, staring at it. "Leon said that the heartless will keep coming after me as long as I wield the keyblade. And the heartless are made of darkness. It we destroyed the darkness, would we have gotten rid of Riku and the King too? Since they were in the heartless realm?"

"We'll just have to rescue the King and Riku before we find a way to get rid of the heartless for good," Goofy offered.

"But how are we going to do that? The only way out of here is through the door we just came from. So what now? Do we go back into the bayou?"

Donald shrugged and Goofy scratched his head.

"We won't get anything done in here," Jiminy said. "Let's go back and see if we can get some advice from Mama Odie. She seemed knowledgeable."

With no better plan, the three friends went back up the stairs and pulled the door open. White light enveloped them like an embrace as they walked through the doorway, but when the brightness faded, they weren't in a misty bayou.

They were standing in an alley between two ornate buildings that towered over them. It was so high that Sora could barely see the grey clouds overhead. A shiny, rain-washed street, with ridiculously large cobblestones lay under his feet and tail.

Tail?

Sora stared. There was a long, thin mouse tail between his faded, yellow shoes. He felt oddly warm, as though he were wearing a wool jacket, and when he looked down at his hands, he stiffened in surprise. He had paws, and his skin was covered in a thin layer of ash-brown fur.

Shocked, he smacked his hands on top of his head, which led to another surprise. Velvety soft ears were growing out of his head. Looking around, Sora spotted a puddle right outside the alley. He ran out into a wide street and looked down into the water.

"I'm a mouse." He pulled at his clothes. Rather then the usual red shorts and blue and white jacket ensemble, he was wearing a burgundy tailcoat with golden buttons, and black trousers.

"Cool! Guys," he turned around and called Donald and Goofy over, "check it out?"

Donald and Goofy weren't mice. They were just smaller versions of themselves. The only thing that had changed was that they were wearing similar style clothes.

"Aw man! Couldn't you guys turn into mice too?"

"Nevermind that," Donald huffed, "where are we?"

The ground vibrated as something came down the road. Turning, Sora saw hooves thundering closer and closer. The three friends ran, but their new tiny legs made it very hard to outrun a horse. Donald and Goofy panicked, crashing into each other. Dizzy, they didn't see the hoof that was about to squash them flat. Sora threw his body at his friends, grabbed them and rolled toward the middle of the horse, between the hooves. He watched as the giant animal and the wagon it was pulling passed over them.

Eventually, the horse and carriage stopped further down the side of the road. A man and woman stepped out.

"What a dreary morning," the woman said, opening a parasol even though there wasn't much rain. She walked arm and arm with the elegantly dressed man up the steps to the front of a house that stood next to a street sign that said, "Baker's Street."

"This is the place, my dear." The man knocked on the door.

"Oh I do hope he can help us," the woman cried, "we've no where else to turn."

The door opened and the two of them disappeared inside. Just as they did so, it seemed as though the rest of the world had woken up. More carriages and people appeared on the road. A milkman went from door to door, replacing empty milk bottles with new ones. A man dressed in all black went from lamp post to lamp post, extinguishing all the candles. A boy strolled down the streets, his satchel heavy with newspapers, knocking door to door to make his deliveries. And a little mouse girl ran past Sora, Donald and Goofy with tears in her eyes.

She ran toward the house where the man and woman from the carriage had entered, but she didn't climb up the steps. Instead, she vanished into the bushes next to the stairs. Sora chased after her. Passing between the leaves and branches of the bushes, he found a clearing with a tiny door on the side of the building. The little girl was banging on the door.

"Basil! Basil! Open up!"

Her hand was turning red.

Sora reached forward and grabbed her wrist. She turned around with wide, glassy eyes and then pointed up into the bushes.

"Look out!"

Yellow eyed rats sat on the branches above. Their mouths oozed with purple froth, their fur crumbling as though they were made from ashen paper. One of the rats reeled back. There was a heartless emblem on its chest. The rats' sharp eyes locked on Sora and the little girl.

It flashed across the small space between them like a bolt of black lightening. Sora grabbed the little girl and rolled out of the way, and the heartless slammed against the door. It quickly rolled back onto its feet, squealing like a needle on glass. The sound felt like a screw was being driven into Sora's newer, more sensitive ears. He grit his teeth, shaking his head, his brain feeling like it was swimming in smoke.

At the first sign of his weakness, the heartless attacked. The girl screamed, hiding her face into Sora's tailcoat. Sora pulled out his keyblade and hurled it at the nearest heartless. It sliced through the heartless' open mouth, making it explode into darkness. The rest of the heartless advanced, claws out, teeth dripping with purple venom, and Sora's keyblade didn't return to his hand in time.

It was just then that Donald and Goofy stumbled into the bushes, crashing shield and staff first into the heartless that was inches away from shredding Sora into pieces. The leader heartless was thrown to the side, but other heartless charged. Sora jumped in front of his friends and the girl, raising his keyblade to shield them, but just then the leader heartless had recovered and it charged at them from the side.

Sora had no time to shield himself.

He shut his eyes.

He felt the mist from the heartless' breath, and then heard a thundering blast.

Opening his eyes, Sora watched as the swarm of heartless exploded one by one. The last heartless launched itself at Sora's head, jaws open wide, only to burst into dust a moment later. Behind the heartless stood a handsome, smartly dressed mouse in a deer-stalker hat. A heartless roared at him from the branch above.

The mouse didn't even turn. He simply lifted his pistol over his head and shot. The headless exploded. He gleefully destroyed the remaining heartless, and, after defeating them all, he twirled the pistol, flipping it toward his lips and blowing into the barrel.

"Fine way to test my marksmanship, I must say."

Without looking at Sora, Donald and Goofy, the mouse bent down to inspect the ground where the heartless had been standing. He rubbed some dirt between his fingers, sniffing it.

"Hmm, extraordinary."

The mouse poured the dirt into a glass vial, and then went to the door in the wall, entered the house and slammed the door behind him. The little girl chased after him.

"Basil, wait!"

"Olivia?"

A stout mouse with a mustache entered the tiny clearing. He ran to the little girl. "I say child, what on earth are you doing here?"

Just then, the other mouse stuck out his head from his house. "Dawson, my good chap! I am on the verge of a breakthrough! Come in!"

Dawson glared. "Dash it all Basil, how can you walk by Olivia and these people?"

Basil squinted at Olivia and then at Sora, Donald and Goofy as though seeing them for the first time.

"Ah, well. Good morning friends. Have you come to ask for the assistance of the great Basil of Baker's street?"

The little girl, Olivia, ran up to Basil. "I need your help! My Daddy's gone."

Basil huffed. "Again? Ms. Flangerhanger-"

"Flaversham!"

"Whatever. Just how many daddies can a little girl lose?"

"I didn't lose him." She stomped her foot. "He was taken! By those creatures!"

The detective's eyes got wide. "Those creatures you say? Well, why didn't you lead with that? You there, young mouse, duck and dog."

Sora wrinkled his nose. "We have names you know."

"Yeah," Donald grumbled, "it's-"

"No time for introductions! Come on in!"

* * *

Kairi sat in the middle of the cave, wrapping bandages around the cuts on her fingers and palms. She closed the pocket first aid kit and tucked in back into the travel pouch on her belt. This was her third night in a row sneaking out of the house to come to the door. She had been so sure it would open this time, and had even tried to find a crack between the door and cave wall. Her attempts to pull it open that way had only ended up with a handful of splinters.

Kairi stood and patted the dirt off her purple skirt-shorts. Spreading her feet apart, she pointed at the door.

"I'll get you open one way or another! Just watch! You won't keep me from my friends."

If only brave declarations of not giving up would make the door open. Kairi groaned. In all her years living on the islands, she had never once thought that she were in a prison, but that was when Sora and Riku were with her. Now she could understand Riku's wish to leave.

Just a few months ago, she had planned with Sora and Riku to make a raft, to sail across the ocean and see if they could find another world. She hadn't really wanted to leave the island like the boys had. She went along for the fun of it. She never really expected to be thrown off the islands, or even find the world she had originally come from.

Kairi closed her eyes, imagining Hollow Bastion, the meshwork of old, empty halls and pipes that was where she had been born and where the heartless had appeared for the first time. Questions she had never asked herself before mixed in with worries for Sora and Riku. She had been so happy living on the islands, she had never thought about where she had been born. All she remembered was her grandmother's story. But now she wondered who her parents had been, what Hollow Bastion had looked like before Maleficent had taken over, before Ansem had lost his mind and filled it with heartless. And why was she a princess of light? What exactly did that mean? What role did she have to play?

"I won't learn anything if I'm stuck on this island."

She moved toward the exit of the cave. Just before she got to the tunnel that led to the way out, Kairi turned around to look one more time at the door, hoping it had opened. No luck. With a sigh, Kairi left the caves.

The moonlight cast a silver shadow on top of the seawater. Walking along the beach, she looked out at the island with the paopu tree. She hadn't been to that island since she had come back home, and she refused to go back there until her friends had returned. Still, Kairi wasn't in the mood to go back to the main island. She was too awake to sleep and for the first time ever, she debated not going to school in the morning.

Kairi laughed. Ditching school was something Sora would do. How many times had she and Riku gone to class only see his chair empty. Then they would catch him fishing or napping on the islands. Good-at-everything-Riku would get all of his school work done just so that he wouldn't actually have to go to class, and Kairi, just as lazy as Sora, would do the bare minimum not to get in trouble.

She closed her eyes, imagining the three of them racing on the beach, and spending lazy days watching the sun set. The ocean breeze, still warm even in the night, caressed her skin, and something wet tickled her fingers.

Kairi's eyes snapped open. Turning slowly, she looked down. A dog with a bump on its head was smelling her hand. Catching her eye, the dog rolled over on its back, exposing its belly. Unable to resist, Kairi bent down to pet the dog.

"Now where did you come from?"

The dog panted happily from the belly rubs. Kairi lifted his dog tag and read the name "Pluto."

"Nice to meet you, Pluto."

The dog turned over and began scratching its ear with its hind leg. It was just then that Kairi noticed a letter in the sands.

While Pluto was busy, Kairi reached to pick up the letter. Turning it over, she noticed a mouse-shaped seal. As Kairi opened the letter, the dog went around in a circle before lying down in the sand and closing its eyes.

Sliding the delicate parchment paper out of the letter, Kairi read.

_Donald. Goofy._

_Things have gotten worse. We may have closed the door, but somewhere in the worlds, there is a machine. A machine made by Ansem shortly before he left his body behind and took over Riku. That machine is still making heartless, and, as long as it is running, more and more people will disappear. I'm sorry to ask this of you, but it doesn't look like I can leave the heartless realm just yet. I need you and Sora to go to Yen Sid. He should be able to tell you of a way to travel between worlds now that they are separate again. I'll try to meet you as soon as I can._

There was no name on the letter, only the same mouse shaped symbol at the bottom, but Kairi didn't care. Stuffing the letter into her pouch, she ran back into the cave, ignoring Pluto's barks as he chased after her. She reached the area with the door and threw her body against it.

Pain stabbed along her arm and shoulder, but Kairi tried again. The second time made her head spin, and she fought the urge to sit down and catch her breath.

"Let me through," she growled.

The door refused. Closing her eyes, Kairi concentrated on the letter.

"Please. I know they're in danger, I can feel it. There has to be something I can do, I can't just wait here. I have to see them again. I will see them again!"

Pluto put his head under her hand, as though trying to comfort her. Kairi patted him absentmindedly.

There was a creak.

The door opened just an inch.

All the sound in the world was silenced. Even her footsteps. As she got closer to the door, Kairi felt light, as though she were about to be blown away. She pulled the door open more and looked inside.

The thing beyond, Kairi could not describe. A mass of energy? An emotion? A place, a time, a core, a heart, a memory? Something, not air, not water, but silky and cold fluttered around her body. She floated in a sea of everything and nothing. It made her want to laugh, cry, and be furious at the same time.

Pluto didn't hesitate. He leaped through the doorway and Kairi didn't look back as she followed. The door slammed back shut behind them.

* * *

It didn't take long for Sora to learn that Basil was both incredibly intelligent, and yet irritatingly rude. He watched with an odd sense of fascination as Basil zipped from one end of the room to the other, pulling out books, sipping tea while reading and writing down notes at the same time, looking under a microscope, and muttering all kinds of things while completely ignoring everyone else in the room. Several times he ran past his housekeeper so fast that she had to keep the contents of her tray from falling by balancing it with her tail.

"Have some cheese crumpets dears," said Basil's maid tiredly, putting out tea and sweets for Sora, Donald and Goofy.

While Donald and Goofy happily partook in the treats, Sora moved toward Basil to ask what he was doing. Dawson pulled him back.

"Don't disturb him," Dawson said with a smile, "this is quite normal behavior for him, in fact."

"Huzah! I have it!"

Basil threw a book on the table and opened to a page with a strange black illustration. Getting closer, Sora saw a dark outline of a creature with jagged antennae and claws. A heartless.

"I knew I had seen forms like those creatures before. Listen."

Clearing his throat, Basil began to read.

"'Of all the strange phenomenon reported by London's very own mice, none are stranger then the myth of the shadow spawn.' Fascinating. I surmise that all the missing London mice were taken by these creatures!"

Dawson shook his head. "Creatures of shadow? Are you serious, Basil?"

"My friend, when you have eliminated all other possibilities, what remains, no matter how improbable must be the truth." He continued to read the old book. "Now then. 'These creatures seemingly come out of nowhere, and swallow unsuspecting mice and rats alike, leaving no trace behind.' What a mystery indeed!"

Olivia gave a terrified moan and then pressed her face into her scarf, sobbing.

"Basil," Dawson chastised.

"What?"

Goofy gave Olivia a pat on the head. "Now, now. there's no reason to be upset. I'm sure your daddy's all right."

Olivia peeked at him from under her scarf.

Sora rounded on Basil. "Can't you be a little more sensitive? This is no time to be researching heartless. We have to help her find her Dad."

Basil's eyes got wide. "Heartless you say? Now how do you know what those creatures are called?"

Sora could practically feel Donald's annoyed glare boring into his back. Luckily for him, Basil continued theorizing.

"I must say these creatures are simply fascinating. If I could only capture a live specimen, I could study its behavior patterns."

Immediately, Sora, Donald and Goofy all stood and yelled.

"No!"

Basil gave them a quizzical look. "You three certainly seem familiar with these creatures."

"Uh, what gives you that idea?"

"Elementary, you wouldn't react so intensely unless you had something to hide. Why shouldn't I get to the bottom of these so called heartless?"

Sora waved his hands. "I-it's just a really bad idea."

Basil raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

Sora wasn't sure it would be very smart to tell him what had happened to the last person that had studied the heartless. The worlds didn't need another Ansem.

Once again, Basil did not give Sora the time to think of a good excuse. It seemed as though a few seconds of silence was all Basil could stand before he jumped to the next course of action.

"Very well. Seeing as you three have some experience with these heartless, and since Ms. Flamhammer-"

"Flaversham!"

"-needs some help, I am recruiting you three to aid in this case."

Once again, Sora, Donald and Goofy couldn't get a word in as Basil easily turned his attention to Olivia.

"Now then, lead the way, young lady. Where did you see your father last?"

* * *

The ground beneath her feet was strange. It was sounded wet, yet there wasn't any water. The white surface didn't look like rock, or dirt, or stone. She wasn't sure if she were outside, or in a very deep cavern underground. There was no horizon, no sky, and no bottom to the abyss below. Every corner of the world, as far as she could see, ended in blackness.

The air was motionless and lukewarm. The only noise was the sound of her own breathing and heartbeat. The only light came from the eerie purple glow that peeked out like a fungus in the cracks of giant rocks that seemed to jut out of from the darkness.

Kairi didn't know how far she had walked, or even how she had gotten to that place. She was standing on a narrow bridge that seemed to extend endlessly in both directions. Above and below were a spiderwebs of bridges and platforms. If it weren't for the fact that she was sure she was standing right side up, she wouldn't know which way was up or down. Pluto walked by her side, his head down and his tail up, ever vigilant.

This had to be the realm of darkness. The heartless' world. Kairi could feel it. The empty, lonely space around her didn't have the life of nighttime darkness. Even when she lay down to sleep in her dark room, there were stars overhead, an ocean breeze, a cricket chirping, the warmth of her bed sheets, but now it was nothing but a wasteland without sensation.

Kairi took out the letter from her pouch and stared at the mouse shaped seal. She remembered Sora's adventures. Though her heart been torn from her body, she had taken refuge inside Sora's heart, and she had seen the world through his eyes. She watched Sora struggle to find his friends, watched Riku make terrible decisions, and learned about Donald and Goofy's search for their king.

She was sure the letter had been written by the king. She had to find him and tell him that the letter hadn't reached Sora, Donald or Goofy. Then together, they would find a way out of the realm of darkness and deliver the news to their friends.

She walked and walked until Pluto let out a little whine, and her feet ached from hours, or was it days, of walking. Sitting down on the strange ground, with her feet dangling over the deep chasm below, Kairi leaned back. Pluto sat down next to her and she absentmindedly scratched him behind the ear. He put his head in her lap.

"I'm so glad you're here with me."

Pluto let out a happy growl.

"I want to take a break too." She looked out into the ocean of darkness. "This place is huge. I wish I had a map."

Pluto shot up from her lap. He lowered his body, his hackles raised, his ears back, and his fangs barely visible under his quivering lips.

Though there wasn't any noise, Kairi felt something creeping closer, like the rising thunder of an incoming stampede. There was frost in her joints even though there was no change in temperature. A creeping shiver rolled through her, like ants crawling all over her skin.

Pluto barked.

Just a few paces ahead, the air thickened with dark, purple orbs. Out of the lumps of dark smoke, spherical creatures appeared, their pitch-black bodies blending into darkness. The only thing that made their bodies discernible from everything else, were the beady, yellow eyes that locked onto Kairi and Pluto.

Kairi had seen those heartless before. At Hollow Bastion.

The dark balls floated toward them, and Kairi saw the jagged, zizzagged shape of their teeth opening and closing as they got closer. One threw its body at her, and she ducked, feeling the end of the heartless' frayed tentacle pass over her spine.

Her skin itched from the contact. She felt a surge of fear, loathing and sadness flash through her body for a moment and her knees felt weak. Unable to get her legs to move fast enough, Kairi could do nothing but raise her arms and cover her face as another heartless launched itself at her. Purple teeth opened wide in front of her eyes.

Pluto jumped, snapping his jaws down on the heartless' tentacles, pulling it back from Kairi's face just in time. The heartless thrashed, tossing Pluto around like a fish on a hook. Pluto growled, refusing to let go. Kairi tried to grab his tail, to pull him off and run, but the rest of the heartless were closing in, trapping her between them and the bottomless pit below.

The last heartless finally shook Pluto off and the poor dog landed in a heap at Kairi's feet. The swarm of heartless advanced and Kairi walked backward until her heels touched the edge of the platform she was standing on. Which was worse, falling or being devoured?

The heartless attacked.

Kairi dropped down and covered Pluto with her body, gritting her teeth, listening to the sound of scratching bites ripping through the air, getting louder. There was a flash of yellow light. Metal scrapping and thunder banged through her ears, and then she felt the sprinkling of mist falling on her forehead and shoulders.

Looking up, Kairi watched the heartless explode one by one. Electricity zipped in the air before fading out. Then all was silent again.

"Are you okay?"

Kairi gasped, looking around for the owner of the voice.

"Up here."

Looking up, she saw the silhouette of someone standing on the platform above hers. There was a faint glow coming from something in his hand, a yellow spark that slowly dimmed out. The figure jumped down to land in front of her.

As he came closer, he became clearer. He was short, only a head taller then Pluto. Though, when his long, rabbit ears stuck up, he could have been as tall as Kairi's shoulder. Black fur covered his head and ears, but his face was white, with round, curious, black eyes, and a button nose. He wore blue shorts with yellow buttons and a ruffled dress shirt. In his hand was a long, stick made of mahogany wood.

"Cura," the rabbit said.

He lifted the stick in the air, the end glowed a soothing, spring green. The light fluttered around her, small four leaf clovers bursting in the air before they sprinkled over her skin. The glow faded just as quickly as it had appeared. Kairi felt warmer. Completely rejuvenated, she stood.

"Thanks."

Pluto charged, pouncing on the rabbit and throwing him down.

The rabbit screamed.

"Ah! Stop that! It tickles!"

He tried to push Pluto off in between his laughter, but Pluto, his tail wagging so fast it blurred, was determined to give the rabbit all the doggy, slobbery thanks he could muster. Kairi whistled and Pluto lifted his head, running back to her side.

The rabbit stood. He glared at Pluto. His fur stuck out at odd angles, his wide eyes and twitchy nose making him look way too adorably frazzled to be intimidating.

Kairi snorted and had to cover her mouth before she could go into a full on giggling fit. Somehow, it didn't seem very polite to laugh at her possible savior.

"Ewwww." The rabbit whipped the slobber off his face with his sleeve.

"Sorry," Kairi said breathlessly. She had to pinch herself to stop the smiling, but her cheeks refused to come down. "Thank you for saving me."

The rabbit tapped his long foot. "What do you think you're doing in the realm of darkness? Don't you know how dangerous this place is?"

"I had to come here. I'm looking for someone."

All the annoyance dropped from the rabbit's face. "Looking for someone?"

Kairi nodded, reaching into her pouch. "I have to find the person that wrote this letter. Maybe he can help me find my friends."

"You're separated from your friends?"

"Uh huh."

His eyes softened for a moment, and then he shook his head and the grumpy expression returned. "How can you come to the realm of darkness without a weapon? Do you even know any magic spells to help protect you?"

"I, uh, well-"

"What would your friends do if something happened to you while you were in here?"

"But I-"

"Hold out your hand."

"Huh?"

The rabbit grabbed her hand and tapped it with his stick. Kairi felt zapping along her arm like a million static shocks. She pulled her hand back, giving the rabbit a hurt look.

"What was that for?"

The rabbit wasn't listening. He paced back and forth, with a smile on his cute face.

"Right. That's the stuff." He waved his stick in little circles in the air. "You got magic in ya. A lot of it." He pointed at her with his stick. "You can use that."

Kairi looked down at her hands. "You mean, I can perform spells?"

"You want to find your friends, don't ya? You're going to need to learn at least one spell. I'm going to teach you the fire incantation."

Kairi clapped her hands together. "Really? How do I do it?"

"Okay, close your eyes and imagine the sun in your chest."

Kairi did as she was told. In her mind, she saw a fire burning where her heart should have been.

"Now, pretend that sun is moving through you, ready to come out."

The fire in her chest traveled through her veins. Kairi tried to imagine heat moving through her chest to her toes and fingertips, but she didn't feel any warmth.

"Now concentrate the fire in your hand and say the incantation."

Kairi lifted her hand, did as she was told, and said the word, "Fire."

But her fingers didn't glow or warm up. She didn't feel any energy being expelled from her body. Nothing. Not even smoke. The two of them stood for a moment, starring at her open palm in silence until Kairi smiled nervously.

"Guess I'm not too good at it."

"Maybe fire isn't your thing." The rabbit shrugged. "We'll keep practicing. And until you get it, stick with me. I can keep an eye on ya."

Kairi felt the syrupy sweet feeling of excitement in her chest. "You're going to travel with me? Really?"

The rabbit's ears dropped, pink coloring his cheeks. He rubbed the back of his head. "Well, it'd be really mean to just leave you here alone. Name's Oswald by the way."

"Kairi. Pleased to meet you."

She extended her hand and the rabbit shook it. His fur was soft and warm.

* * *

Olivia's house was a toy shop with all kinds of mouse dolls, wooden boats, yo-yos and kites for Donald and Goofy to play with while Sora assisted Dawson in keeping up with all of Basil's increasingly ridiculous demands. Which was a shame, because all Sora really wanted to do was play with the toys.

At the moment, Basil's behind was sticking up from under a table. He was crouching with his eye glued to a magnifying class. Sora and Dawson were on the other side of the table, holding a candle in each hand to provide Basil with some light.

Basil rubbed dust between his fingers. Then he pulled out a glass tube with some dirt in it. Whatever he was looking for didn't match and Basil moved forward on all fours, sniffing the floor.

He smirked. "Ah hah! No mistaking it. It's the same cold smell of those creatures I so expertly dispatched earlier."

"What?" Sora leaned up so fast that the top of his head bumped the table over him. "Ouch!"

Dawson patted him on the arm. "Are you all right young man?"

Rubbing his head, Sora nodded. Then to Basil he said, "You can smell the heartless?"

"Well, certainly not, but when those creatures vanished, they left behind a very distinct scent. The scent of ozone covered the dirt where they had been and the faint scent of it lingers here as well." Basil rose from under the table. He walked over to Olivia. "Young lady, are you sure you saw your father being dragged from here?"

"Yes. Those creatures came in from the window and grabbed him. He fell under the table and then when I looked, he and the creatures were gone."

Basil tapped his magnifying class against his chin for a moment and then rounded on Sora, Donald and Goofy.

"Gentleman, we are not leaving this toy shop until we have found a clue. No time to play, we've a search to do."

Donald and Goofy put away the toys sadly. While Sora and Dawson inspected the room, looking under and behind the furniture, Donald sat on Goofy's shoulders and looked at the high corners of the room. Basil poked his head through the window and stared intensely at the sill, the curtains and the glass.

He took out a bag full of white powder from inside his coat pocket and covered the window glass and sill in it. Hand prints appeared on the window, and the white dust showed slashes in the sill, indicating claw marks. As Basil poured over what his finding could mean, Sora lifted a bookshelf for Dawson to look under.

The older mouse's head vanished under the book shelf. Then he moved back, signaling for Sora to put the shelf back down. In Dawson's hands, something metal glinted. He called Basil over and the detective snatched a coin from Dawson's hands.

He brought the coin to his nose, sniffed it, polished it on his shirt and then smirked.

"We have our next location, gentleman."

"The bank?" Goofy asked.

Basil held up the coin in front of Goofy's eyes. "There is a distinct scent of gin, sea water and sewage coming off this coin. There is only one pub in the entire city that lies in the junction between the sewer system and the ocean. Judging by the lack of dust, this coin is new. I surmise that it must have rolled under the bookshelf recently, and look here."

Sora, Donald, Dawson and Olivia leaned in close to squint at the token. There was a slash across the gold plated surface, revealing the plain metal underneath.

"This scratch mark has the same pattern as the marks on the window."

Dawson put his hand on his forehead. "Oh, don't tell me we're going to go back to that pub. My head still spins from the last time we were there."

* * *

_**Jiminy's Journal**_

Olivia Flaversham (First Appeared in The Great Mouse Detective, 1986): A sweet, rambunctious little girl who loves her Daddy very much. She's completely at ease helping Dawson and Basil solve mysteries.

Basil of Baker's Street (First Appeared in The Great Mouse Detective, 1986): An intelligent and plucky detective that lives for the game of solving mysteries. He's a jack-of-all-trades and very talented in the fields of science and history, but he can be a bit self-centered and rude at times.

Dr. David Q. Dawson (First Appeared in The Great Mouse Detective 1986): A kind doctor that assists Basil on his cases. Dawson is the perfect foil to Basil's narrowminded nature. He provides a more grounded view when solving mysteries.

Oswald the Lucky Rabbit (First Appeared in Trolly Troubles, 1927): An energetic, mischievous, and mysterious rabbit that has a lot of skill in magic. He's quick to help others and do the right thing, but why is he in the realm of darkness?


	5. Chapter 4: The Clock Tower

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, nor any of the Disney Characters in this story. The following is purely fan made. Please support the original work.

* * *

**_Chapter 4: The Clock Tower_**

* * *

The scent of rotten stew and some other things that Sora really didn't want to imagine mixed terribly with ocean breeze. The wharf felt like a moldy, moist laundry room with mildewed socks in every drier. Sora, Donald and Goofy walked beneath the pier behind Basil with their shirts pulled over their noses.

Tucked into the underbelly of the pier was a tiny door and to Basil's surprise, it was open.

"Curious," he said as he entered the room.

Sora had expected a room full of musty smoke, without an empty seat or table in the house. He had thought the room would have been full of tons of ruffians playing cards, throwing knives, and ordering "pints" from the bar. Instead, he saw an abandoned room with scratch marks all over the tables, floors, and overturned chairs.

Basil lit a lantern and surveyed the damage. Glass mugs and bottles had been thrown down and shattered, making the entire room sparkle under the light. Parts of the bar had been hacked off. The curtains on the stage ripped off and lying in heaps. A lone piano sat in the corner by the stage, and it had been squashed down the middle as though a giant had pounded it with his fist.

"Whoa," Donald clicked his beak, "what happened here?"

Basil rubbed some dust between his fingers. "Clearly this place has been attacked by the same fiends we are pursuing."

"I knew that! I meant why did they attack here?"

Basil walked deeper into the pub, searching for clues. "Indeed. I don't understand why these creatures are targeting London's mice. Where did the pub patrons go?"

"I can answer that question for you," someone said.

Sora, Donald and Goofy all summoned weapons, searching the corners of the room for the owner of that smooth voice.

There was a chuckle. "Hey, now calm down."

A rat appeared on the broken stage in the back of the pub. At first, Sora thought she were wearing the ripped curtains, but as she came closer, he realized that she wore a red coat with a large escutcheon over her chest and torso. He couldn't see her face, as it was covered by a red, winged hat.

"Halt," Basil commanded. "How is that you are the only one here when this place has been ransacked? Answer, rat!"

The rat stopped with her hands up. "I came for a drink. One moment this place is lively, the next, strange creatures are pouring out of the walls, gathering up every patron in sight. I tried to fight them off but one of the fiends caught me by surprise and knocked me out. I woke up to this mess."

"And why were you behind the curtain?"

"Same as you. I was looking for clues. Then you arrived."

Basil began pacing, muttering under his breath. As he went about his strange manner of investigation, the rat waved at Sora, Donald and Goofy.

"You three. You're not from around here, are you?"

"Uh," Goofy began.

"Well," Sora added.

"We're from out of town," Donald finished harshly, glaring at his two friends.

"I see."

With her finger, she lifted the brim of her hat, revealing her smile, green eyes and silver hair.

"Interesting weapon you have there."

She pointed to Sora's keyblade.

"Confound it!" Basil stomped around in a circle. "We're back to square one." He faced Sora, Donald and Goofy. "We're going back my lab, chaps. I've some deductions to do."

The rat woman got down on one knee. "If you're investigating those creatures, please let me come with you."

Basil stiffened. "Ah, that's quite all right, miss?"

"Freya. Freya Crescent."

"Ms. Crescent," Basil cleared his throat, "I assure you I have all the help I need to-"

"I'm sure my lance will be very helpful to you. There is strength in numbers after all, and I'm curious myself as to why these creatures are attacking mice."

Basil didn't look convinced.

"Come on," Sora said, "let her come."

Basil leaned in close to whisper in Sora's ear. "Don't be daft. Do you not see that she's a rat."

"What's wrong with that?" Sora whispered back.

"I have very fine hearing you know," Freya said. "And you shouldn't lump all rats together."

For the first time since meeting him, Sora saw a look of complete embarrassment cover Basil's cheeks. Before he could blink, Freya was walking out of the pub and into the wharf, and that's how Basil found himself back at his home with a new ally.

Freya and Olivia sat by the fire and the little girl delighted in wearing Freya's hat and trying to lift her heavy lance. Basil and Dr. Dawson worked on figuring out new clues. They're work went on until the sun set for the day, until Dawson fell asleep on the couch out of sheer exhaustion. Donald and Goofy curled up on the rug by the fireplace and were knocked out around midnight. Olivia fell asleep on the divan.

Only Sora and Freya remained awake, watching Basil obsess over the next course of action. Unable to stand the boredom, Sora asked Freya why she was so interested in the heartless.

She shrugged. "A good test of my fighting skills, I'd say. Curiosity mostly, something to do other then the usual."

Sora peeked at her. She was standing against the wall with her arms crossed, watching Basil with mild interest.

"What do you usually do?"

Freya leaned forward, her hat completely hiding her face. "I spent years looking for someone really important to me."

"Did you find him?"

"He found me, but he wasn't the same anymore."

Sora thought of Riku, and how they had reunited back at Traverse Town. He had been so relieved to finally find him after searching for him for so long. If only he had known what would have happened next, if only he had known about Riku's decent into darkness. He wouldn't have been so carefree back then.

He thought about the realm of darkness and hoped that Riku and King Mickey were all right in there. He thought about Kairi back on the islands. He remembered Mama Odie's strange warning, he thought about the one hundred Dalmatian back puppies in Traverse Town, and on and on, until his eyes couldn't stay open anymore.

Sora was only pulled out of his dreams when Basil exclaimed.

"DRAT!"

Donald, Goofy, Dawson and Olivia snapped awake. Freya, who had been silently keeping vigil all night, leaned away from the wall and neared Basil.

"Having some problems?"

"Yes. Without a single clue to go on, I have no way of narrowing down where those heartless will show up next in the city. We'd have better luck searching for them from the top of Big Ben at this point."

Surprise shot through Sora. He recognized that name. The image of flying around the night sky with Peter Pan and the giant clock face with the keyhole hidden inside, flashed through his mind. He looked to Donald and Goofy, and saw that they had recognized it too.

"Big Ben is in this city? How is that possible?"

Basil gave them a smirk. "One of London's greatest landmarks. You're in for a treat."

Olivia ran to the door. "We're going to go there? Let's go!"

Dawson, still groggy, tried to chase after her. "Now wait just a moment!"

But Olivia was already out the door. Seconds later, the sound of her scream shook everyone in the room.

Freya and Sora ran out and found Olivia kneeling down in the clearing. In front of her was a small shadow heartless, staring at Olivia with wide, yellow eyes. Freya was quick, reaching Olivia and pulling her away within seconds, leaving Sora with an opening to rush forward, raise his keyblade and-

"No!" Olivia screamed and kicked in Freya's arms. "Don't hurt it!"

The heartless looked at Olivia, tilting its head.

"What's gotten into you?" Sora said. "They're dangerous!"

"But it didn't hurt me. He gave me these!"

It was just then that Sora realized that she was holding a pair of spectacles in her hands. He looked at the heartless. It hasn't moved, hadn't tried to defend itself, it's only action had been when it had tilted its head and looked at Olivia with curiosity.

"These are my Daddy's glasses," Olivia said. "Can you please put me down?"

Carefully, Freya put Olivia back on her feet. Basil and the others came out of the house and their first instinct was to aim their weapons at the heartless.

"Stop! It's nice. Don't hurt it!" Olivia jumped in front of the heartless, stomped her foot, and gave each of them a commanding glare.

Sora walked around the heartless. "It's not attacking? This is weird. What's it doing here?"

"How fortuitous!" Basil reached into his coat, produced a pair of handcuffs and snapped them around the heartless' claws. He dragged the heartless inside, ignoring Sora, Donald, Goofy and Olivia's cries.

Inside the house, he walked around the heartless with a magnifying glass, poking its antennae, checking for a heartbeat with a stethoscope, measuring its height with tape and placing it on a scale to find out its weight. Olivia came inside and pushed Basil away. She knelt down in front of the heartless.

"Where's my Daddy? Did you take him?"

The heartless didn't answer, but it didn't look away from Olivia's face either, only tilting its head again.

At the door, Donald and Goofy gave Sora confused looks.

"Gosh, do ya think this heartless is like the ones at Halloween town? They were tame for a little while."

Sora remembered how Jack Skellington had tried to get the heartless to dance with him for his Halloween celebration back at Halloween town. It had been the first time on their journey where they had run into heartless that hadn't attacked them on sight.

"But those heartless started attacking after a while," Donald reminded them. "We'd better be careful."

Sora watched the docile heartless. Basil had turned it upside down and was inspecting the soles of its feet. Even then, the heartless still hadn't fought back. How was this possible? He had never seen a heartless that tame. Sora shook his head. That was lie. He did know of a heartless that didn't fight back after it was poked and prodded.

"Maybe this heartless is new."

"What do ya mean?"

"When I turned into a heartless, I started forgetting things. Maybe it takes a little while for their more dangerous instincts to kick in. I didn't attack you guys when I was a heartless did I?"

Donald shook his head.

"I have an idea. Maybe if we let this heartless go, it can lead us to all the lost mice."

Donald gave him a dubious roll of the eyes. "Come on, Sora. We don't know if that will work."

"Do you have another plan? Besides, if we can get it away from Basil, then he can't experiment on it."

"He's right, Donald."

"Okay." Donald crossed his arms. "Just be careful."

Basil wasn't too keen on letting his specimen go but was easily appeased when Sora mentioned that it could perhaps give them another lead.

"The heartless can help us. If we don't find anything we can always come back here."

Basil gave him a shrewd stare, one that he held for so long that Sora couldn't help but fidget. Finally, he said, "Very well."

He removed the handcuffs from the heartless. Then he bent down, and with his hand, moved the heartless head so that it stared at him in the eye.

"Lead us to the other mice."

The heartless turned its head back to stare at Olivia.

Basil scoffed and tried again. The results were the same.

"Oh please, Mr. Heartless," Olivia said, "can you take us to the other mice?"

To everyone's surprise the heartless began walking toward the door. Olivia chased after it, but Dawson grabbed her hand.

"It's too dangerous."

"Worry not," said Freya, picking Olivia up, "I'll protect her."

"Quickly friends! It's getting away!"

They ran out into the sunny day, chasing the heartless as it crossed the street, went through an alley, and into a long pipe that led into the sewers. Eventually they came out of a drainage pipe in the middle of a park. The heartless ran through the grass, ignoring the crowd of people that had come to picnic during the morning hours.

Basil and the others hesitated, but the heartlesss was getting away, easily evading the people's feet by flattening itself like a shadow on the ground. Carefully, they weaved through the giant shoes and were almost out of the crowd when suddenly someone's shriek burned into their ears. A woman reeled back, pointing.

"AH! MICE!"

The entire crowd panicked and soon they were dodging stomping shoes, umbrellas and rocks as the people attacked. Donald dodged one foot, only to be kicked by the next. He collapsed onto the ground and Goofy had to turn around to pick him up. Sora noticed his friends weren't on his heels and ran back after them, losing sight of Basil and the others. He was lost in a forest of legs and screams, and he didn't notice a giant boot coming down on him until the shadow of it blocked out the sun overhead.

Sora summoned his keyblade, but even he knew that it wouldn't be enough to block a giant shoe! Donald and Goofy's cries from behind him were suddenly muffled. Sora turned around, but couldn't spot his friends. Then the shoe stomped down on him.

Sora felt a sweeping sensation, and then everything was black. He was warm and nauseous, swaying from side to side. He wondered for a moment if he had fallen into the realm of darkness. Then, the black space surrounding him opened up and the light came into his eyes so quickly that he fell back on his tail, his eyes feeling as though they were ready to pop out of their sockets.

"My goodness, that was close."

Sora felt a jolt go down his spine. He knew that voice. It was loud, but very clear. With his eyes finally adjusting to the light, he looked down. He was sitting on a giant hand.

The other hand came to rest next to his, and Donald and Goofy were on it. Donald held onto Goofy, his eyes squeezed shut. Goofy patted him on the shoulder and Donald, realizing that they were no longer in danger, let go of Goofy quickly and began to pat down his clothes in a-little-too-late attempt at regaining some dignity.

Sora turned around, and saw the owner of the hands. A young, human girl smiled down at them, her blue eyes dancing with excitement.

"Sora, is that you? How curious! You've become a mouse! Is this Wonderland's magic?"

Donald pointed. "Wah? Alice? What are you doing here?"

"This is my home."

Goofy grinned. "So you picked us up from the crowd. Ah-yuck! Thanks for savin' us."

Sora looked back at the crowd of people. They were still searching the ground for mice.

"How did you know it was us?"

Alice carefully put them down on the grass at the base of tree. The overgrown roots blocked Sora, Donald and Goofy from sight.

"I felt a familiar light, so I grabbed you. And it seems as though I was just in time. It would have been dreadful if you had been squashed flat. What are you doing here? I thought the worlds were at peace."

There wasn't much time to explain, as Sora was anxious to reunite with Basil and the others, but seeing as Alice was a Princess of Light, one the seven maidens of the purest heart, and since she had saved them, he felt the need to give her an explanation.

"I've never heard of such a castle," Alice said when Sora had finished with his story. "Perhaps this door you speak of is a gateway that randomly throws you out into whichever world it chooses. Perhaps, by sheer luck, the door may open up into the realm of darkness. That must be what what hooded man meant when he said that, 'there is a doorway between light and dark.'"

"Then we're just going to have to keep trying the door until it takes us to the world we need."

"Do you think that's wise, Sora? Maybe you should think twice about going into the realm of darkness."

"Why?"

"Because the last man to open the door to darkness ended up destroying many worlds."

"But we need the king," Donald said. "And we still have to find a way to get rid of the heartless for good."

"We promise to be really careful, Alice," Goofy added.

"Oh, I hope you don't make any rash decisions. Nonsense invites the darkness, you know."

"But what do we do now?" Donald said. "We lost track of Basil and the others."

Alice lay her hands down on the grass, motioning for Sora and his friends to stand in them.

"Hmm, well, I don't know if it will help, but I do sense a faint darkness nearby. Perhaps your friends went there. Do you want me to take you?"

Sora, Donald and Goofy nodded. Alice tucked them into the pocket of her apron. Several minutes later, the booming chimes of a bell resonated in the air. Sora peeked out of Alice's pocket. Big Ben loomed high over London, looking much bigger from below then it did back when they were flying around it in the air with Peter Pan.

"Here you are," Alice said, "I sense a darkness coming from inside Big Ben."

Donald huffed. "So it was here after all."

Alice gently put the three friends back down on the ground. They thanked her before zipping across the street. They neared the building and slipped through the metal fence. At the base of the clock tower, there as a tiny hole in the dirt that the three of them were able to squeeze through.

They climbed up the brick and mortar innards of the tower, higher and higher until they were breathless. Just a few more platforms upward, Sora spotted a familiar, very round silhouette. It was Dr. Dawson.

They persevered through one more climb and collapsed at Dawson's feet.

"Good heavens! Are you all right?"

Finally catching his breathe, Sora said, "Where are Basil and the others?"

Dawson pointed to a rope that lead higher up the clock tower. "I was to wait for you three to arrive. I'm glad that you found your way here."

Standing, Sora, Donald and Goofy neared the rope. It was tied around a matchbox that rested between a pair of beams. The rope disappeared into the dark ceiling up above. Dawson herded Sora, Donald and Goofy into the matchbox. The cardboard bulged as the four of them were packed like sardines. Dawson pulled on the rope outside, before sliding the matchbox closed.

"All right then. Are you ready?"

"Ready for wha-aaaaaaah!"

The matchbox zoomed upward through the air. Donald gripped the walls with his teeth clenched. Goofy hollered.

"Ah ho ho ho hoy!"

Sora's toes curled in his shoes. He felt the matchbox swaying side to side as it shot through the air and had to cover his mouth in the hopes that he wouldn't puke. Just as he thought the ride would last forever, they jerked to a stop and tumbled out of the matchbox onto yet another beam.

"Ah, there you are," said Basil.

When his head no longer felt as though it were rolling like a bowling ball, Sora saw that the rope around the matchbox was connected to some strange wheeled contraption that was bolted to the wall. Olivia and Freya had been operating it by turning a handle.

Olivia waved a hand in front of Goofy's rolling eyes. "Are you okay?"

Goofy mumbled something silly, as though he were caught up in a lovely daydream.

"Come now. Up you get," Basil snapped. "It is not much farther. The heartless vanished through there."

He pointed upward. On the wall there was a crack that fanned out into a jagged hole. As the party climbed up and through the hole, they came out into a secret room on the other side. The walls looked as though they had been chewed inward. Cages decorated the room. They were full to bursting with mice. Young, old, male, female, crook or ordinary citizen, they were all lumped tight between chain linked metal.

Upon seeing Basil and the others, the mice, all cried out in one big, jumbled voice.

"Get us out of here!"

"Help!"

"Quickly, run before it comes back!"

"I don't want to be turned into a monster!"

Basil reached into his pocket and neared one of the caves. There was a lock placed on the metal door of the cage. He pulled out a long hair clip and busied himself with popping the lock open.

Sora went to the next cage, and with his keyblade, unlocked it. The mice poured out. Olivia ran forward, shouting for her father, but none of the mice reacted to her. They all ran toward the opening in the wall, but they never reached it.

Darkness oozed out of the walls, covering the exit. The mice screamed as the darkness amalgamated into a shape. Sora threw his key blade at the amorphous shadow, and it split down the middle, just enough for a few mice to get through.

"Quickly Dawson! Lead the civilians out!"

Dr. Dawson whistled, getting the attention of the mice. One by one, he pushed them through the doorway.

Sora shouted at his friends. "Donald, Goofy, keep it busy."

He heard the unmistakable clap of Goofy's shield striking something and felt the coldness of Donald's ice spells freezing the monster behind him, but he ignored it as he went to the next cage and unlocked it.

More mice poured out. Freya joined Donald and Goofy in engaging the giant blob of darkness, pushing it back just enough for Dawson to lead the kidnapped mice outside. Olivia chased after the crowd, calling for her father, but just then the dark shadow swelled to the ceiling. It sailed over the crowd of panicking mice below, and sharpened to a spear that was pointed straight at Olivia.

Basil and Sora rushed forward, but they weren't fast enough. The dark spear soared through the air. Basil shot at the darkness with his pistol but it did nothing to slow it down. and the spear pierced straight through Sora's ice spell.

Olivia threw her hands over her face. Then the docile heartless that had led them there jumped in front of her, taking the blow from the giant, shadowy mass and falling to the side of the room. It lay there pathetically, the only sign that it was still alive was the trembling of its limbs as it tried to stand.

Sora reached Olivia, and was able to deflect the giant shadow upward toward the ceiling. It crashed through the bricks overhead, disappearing into a cavernous room with massive gears just above them. The area shook, dust and rubble falling from the broken ceiling.

"Ms. Freya," Basil shouted, "get Ms. Flaversham out of here!"

With a nod, Freya tucked Olivia under her arm and dashed out of the room with Dawson and the rest of the mice. Donald and Goofy looked up into the hole in the ceiling.

Donald pulled his arm back and bellowed. "Blizzaga!"

A staircase of ice erupted out of his staff, leading up into the room above.

"Sora, we're going after the darkness!"

Basil ran to the bottom of the stairs. "Not without me you're not."

The four of them raced into the room, weapons up, looking between the gaps in the giant gears of Big Ben as they ground and ticked. One of the gears up near the orange, glass clock-face was pitch black. Slowly, the black color faded from the gear like paint being pulled out of a picture. The black color molded itself, taking on a shape much like the rat heartless Sora and his friends had fought when they had first met Basil. Except this time, the shape stood on two legs. A long flowing cape blew behind the creature's back, even though there was no wind. It stood taller, with a long, whip-like rat tail, and a muscular upper half.

Basil gasped. "It can't be."

Eyes appeared out the creature's head and it leered down at them, its claws digging into the gear. Invisible lips peeled back and its mouth opened, showing a row of yellow, pointed teeth. It fell toward them. Donald, Sora, Goofy and Basil all jumped away from the fiend.

Basil shot at it with his pistol, Goofy threw his shield and Donald sizzled it with a thunder spell. The creature withstood the attack, and then it reared back and roared.

The air thickened with the feeling of hatred and despair as more rat heartless appeared. As Donald and Goofy fought back the lesser enemies, the leader rat turned its eyes on Basil. It flashed toward him, pinning him against the floor, its jaws opening wide. Basil aimed his pistol into its mouth but missed, grazing the creature's cheek instead. The creature clamped its teeth together, its eyes wide.

It pulled back, only to raise its clawed hand and slice into Basil's shoulder.

Sora jumped onto its back and whacked it on top of the head with his keyblade, and the creature reached up, sunk its claws into Sora's leg and threw him across the room. Sora fell and didn't have enough time to shield himself from the smaller rat heartless as they converged on him. With all four of his friends busy, and his shooting arm trapped under the rat's heavy paw, Basil had no way to protect himself as the rat's teeth opened up in front of his eyes.

Something silver flew through the air, piercing the rat on the side of its head, knocking him off Basil. Now free, Basil rolled back onto his feet, grabbing his pistol off the floor. The room spun and his shoulder burned from the nasty scratch. Someone caught him by the arm and kept him from falling.

Basil turned and saw Freya at his side.

"This is no place to rest, Detective. We have enemies to dispatch!" She let him go and charged toward the giant rat, pulling her spear out of its temple. It was like ripping a splinter out of a finger. The rat wasn't affected, easily fighting back against Freya. She ducked and weaved out of reach from the rat's claws, nimble as an acrobat.

With the leader rat distracted, Basil turned his attention toward Sora. He was outnumbered five to one, and barely had time to defend himself let alone attack. Basil focused, breathing out, watching the heartless' movements. Then he fired four shots.

Bullseye.

Each heartless exploded, leaving the remaining one to be sliced through by Sora's keyblade. Donald and Goofy defeated the remaining heartless and then joined up with Sora and Freya. They converged onto the leader. They hit with spells, bashed it with a keyblade and shield, stabbed it with a spear, and riddled it with bullets, but each time, the giant rat treated the attack as mere annoyances.

Meanwhile the party's attacks were getting sloppier, their movements dulled by exhaustion. Sora couldn't duck fast enough, and got whipped by the rat's tail. His temple throbbed and he only had a second to jump back and keep the shadow rat's tail from slashing into his stomach.

"We're not doing any damage," Freya grunted, summersaulting out of the way of another attack. She didn't land as gracefully as she had before, stumbling to keep her balance.

Sora threw a thunder spell at the rat, and then had to lean forward to catch his breathe.

"What do we do?"

Donald, his magic almost spent, staggered where he stood. Sensing weakness, the rat lunged at him, but its claws were stopped by Goofy's shield.

Basil watched as Freya and Sora kept the heartless busy while Goofy tended to his friend. As Sora got close to the creature's teeth, rather then open its mouth and bite, the creature shut its jaws tight. Freya stabbed it in the chest with her spear, but the creature swiped her with its massive arm, throwing her off to the side and pulling out the spear as though it were nothing.

Basil's mind reeled. His eyes darted about the room. He had to do this quickly.

"Sora! Freya! At exactly the moment I tell you, run toward me and do exactly as I say."

Basil took in a deep breathe and then shouted.

"Hey you vile sewer rat!"

The creature turned its attention away from Freya and Sora, its wide eyes staring unblinkingly at Basil.

"You heard me, you common filth! Couldn't beat me then and now you're back for revenge eh? Well," Basil spread his arms wide, "now's you chance!"

The rat stalked toward Basil, ignoring Sora and Freya as they walked carefully behind it.

"Yes, that's right. It's you, isn't it, Professor Ratigan. What foul depths did you crawl out from?"

The rat had reached Basil and it lifted its claws but held them in the air, not breaking eye contact from the smug mouse below it, as though waiting, daring Basil to give him a reason to strike him down.

"But we know the truth, don't we? Eh? 'Professor?'"

The rat snarled.

"You're nothing more then a common-"

The rat opened it's mouth. Basil pointed at Freya and then pointed to the Rat's feet.

"Filthy-"

He gestured at Sora, pointing up above the rat's head.

"Sewer Rat! NOW!"

Freya swept her spear low, banging it against the rat's shins. It fell forward, just as Sora stomped down on its back, the surprise making it open its jaws wide, just in time for Basil to shove his pistol between its teeth.

He fired.

The rat swelled, getting bigger and bigger until it popped, releasing a blast of wind that threw everyone off their feet, but when the moment passed, the rat was gone.

Sora, Donald and Goofy whooped. Freya, chuckling, clapped her hands. Basil threw his fist into the air.

"How about that? Defeating my arch foe not once but twice. Marvelous!" Basil turned to face his comrades. "You three! Fantastic work!" The he cleared his throat and walked toward Freya.

"Ms. Crescent. I believe I owe you an apology. You are every bit the knight you say you are. I'm ever so sorry for doubting you."

He extended his hand, and Freya took it.

"Perhaps now, you know that not all rats are nefarious evildoers."

Basil laughed. "Well, now I certainly know to call you if I ever need a knight."

Their celebrating was interrupted by the sound of Olivia's cries. She was still calling for her Daddy down in the room below. Jumping back down, Basil looked around the room. All the captured mice had escaped. Olivia was overturning rubble, her eyes glimmering with tears.

"H-h-he's not here."

She sat down on the ground and blew her nose into her scarf, wailing.

Dr. Dawson came behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. Olivia pulled out her father's glasses from inside her coat. Her tears fell on the lenses. Just then the docile shadow heartless moved from across the room. It came to sit next to Olivia and put its claws on the spectacles in her hands.

Before anyone could say anything, Olivia reached forward and patted the heartless on the head.

"D-Daddy? Is that you?"

"Oh no," Goofy whispered.

"I get it now," Sora said sadly. "It's just like me. I was chasing after you guys and Kairi, people I knew. That's why it's not hurting her."

"You mean to say," Basil began, "that creature is Ms. Flaversham's father?"

"Makes sense," Donald said. "That's why it only listened to her."

"So, he can't change back?" Freya asked.

"I don't know," Sora admitted. "When I turned into a heartless, it was Kairi who-wait! Maybe we can change him back."

Goofy and Donald exchanged a look. "What'ya mean," they said.

"Alice. She's a princess of light. We have to find her."

* * *

Sora, Donald and Goofy left Basil, Dawson and Freya behind, believing they could move faster with only Olivia and the heartless. They raced back to the park where they had first found Alice. Luckily, she was having tea under one of the gazebos, next to an older woman. When they neared, Alice stopped mid sip of her drink and excused herself.

She went to sit in some flowers nearby, which gave Sora and the others the perfect cover to approach without being seen. When she spotted the heartless, she drew back a bit, but she did not flee, or speak, until Sora, Donald and Goofy were finished explaining.

"This is curious," Alice said, picking up Olivia and the heartless. "I believe your father's love for you is what is keeping his heartless so calm, but I don't think it will last long. I can feel the darkness getting stronger and if it completely takes over, your father will forget who he was, lose all his emotions, and become like the others."

"There has to be a way to change him back," Sora said. "Kairi was able to do it! Maybe her power as a princess of heart pushed the darkness away."

Alice shook her head. "I can try, Sora, but I don't think my power will be enough. I will need Olivia's help."

Donald and Goofy hung their heads, moaning sadly.

"Olivia," Alice continued, "remember your father. Share your light with him."

"O-okay."

Carefully, Olivia wrapped her arms around the heartless. "Please come back, Daddy. I miss you, I love you."

Alice's eyes drifted shut, her hands closing around Olivia and the heartless. She breathed in deep. Sora, Donald and Goofy held their breaths. There was a flash of light between Alice's fingers, and when she opened her hands again, Olivia's father was holding his daughter tight in his arms.

* * *

Sora, Donald and Goofy said goodbye to Olivia and Mr. Flaversham. They promised to tell Basil, Dawson and Freya the good news. By the time they reached Baker's street, it was already evening. Dr. Dawson had tea ready for them and while Donald, Goofy, and Freya exchanged stories over their warm brew, Sora and Basil theorized.

Basil, now wearing his evening robe and leisurely blowing smoke out of his pipe, leaned back in his big chair. "Darkness is a peculiar thing, isn't it?"

"What do you mean?" asked Sora.

"Something so small as love for a daughter can keep it at bay it seems and something so vile as hatred can bring a defeated foe back to haunt us."

"You mean, Professor Ratigan?"

"Indeed. I believe Ratigan's lingering feelings of rage and resentment lured in the darkness, turning him into a heartless even after he was defeated. Kidnapping Olivia's father, turning him into a heartless, kidnapping all of London's mice as a conspiracy for me to investigate, all things that Ratigan would do."

"If darkness can make someone become a heartless even after they've already been defeated, would that mean that becoming a heartless is inevitable? Alice said that if Olivia's father had forgotten who he was, then he could never be changed back. Does that mean, I have no way of helping the heartless other then putting them out of their misery?"

"I'd say keep investigating."

"Huh?"

Basil poked Sora in the forehead with his pipe. "Young man, the more details you gather, the closer you will be to the truth. Go. Learn. And remember, if you're ever in need of a talented detective, make sure to find me on Baker's street."

Sora rubbed his forehead, but he was smiling from ear to ear. "Thanks."

* * *

_**Jiminy's Journal**_

Freya Crescent (First Appeared in Final Fantasy IX, 2000): A humble knight hailing from an unknown kingdom. Her skills with a spear are as sharp as her mind. Freya is honorable and kind, but seems as though she has experienced much hardship in her life. She is always willing to lend her spear to those in need.

Alice (First Appeared in Alice in Wonderland, 1951): One of the seven maidens with the purest of hearts. Alice is curious and logical at the same time. She helped Sora on his last journey to close the door to darkness, and warned Sora against being too reckless in his journey.

Professor Ratigan (First appeared in the Great Mouse Detective, 1986): Basil's arch enemy. He was a devious schemer that tried to take over all mousedom but was foiled by Basil and Dr. Dawson. His lingering hatred lured in the darkness, turning him into a heartless that wanted nothing but revenge.


	6. Chapter 5: Agrabah

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, nor any of the Disney Characters in this story. The following is purely fan made. Please support the original work.

* * *

**_Chapter 5: Agrabah_**

* * *

Castle Oblivion felt colder. All of Donald's feathers ruffled when they returned through the door. Goofy's ears flopped backward as though there was a breeze. Something moved along the wall in the corner of Sora's eye and he turned to look but all he saw was the regular, boring white wall of the castle. Looking around the room one more time, just in case, he noticed something odd.

He neared the wall, the one that once had the door they had first entered through. The exit hadn't returned, but the wall seemed less solid. Putting his hand on the wall, Sora felt the cold marble under his fingertips. The stone seemed flimsier then that of the other walls, as though it were made from thinner material.

Curious, Sora knocked on the surface. There was an echo.

"That's weird. Was this wall always like this?"

Goofy shrugged. "Maybe it has something to do with all the worlds we've been visiting."

Donald went to the door at the top of the stairs. "Why don't we go back into another world and see if anything has changed when we come back?"

Sora and Goofy agreed, and they went through the door one more time without noticing the green smoke that slithered along the floor of the room. As the door closed behind them, the shadow of a thin man moved along the walls. It laughed without a voice, and then slid under the door, following Sora, Donald and Goofy.

* * *

"Okay, let's try one more time," Oswald said.

Kairi gripped the wand tight in her hand. "I'm ready!"

Oswald positioned her hand higher.

"That's better. Are you thinking of a fire? Feeling the heat from inside your chest?"

"Yes."

"Now concentrate! See it moving toward your hands."

"Got it."

"Now the incantation!"

Kairi lifted the wand in the air like Oswald had instructed, and then swung it down with as much force as she could.

"Fire!"

The wand didn't even spark. Kairi growled.

"Why can't I do it?"

"Magic is tricky to a lot of people. Maybe you're thinking too much. You gotta feel it with your gut."

Kairi sat down. "Things were so much easier when I was ordering Sora and Riku around to do all the work." She grinned sheepishly. "I'm good at giving commands not following them."

"Sounds ta me like you're just lazy."

"So you noticed."

Next to Kairi, Pluto yawned.

"Don't agree with him," Kairi huffed.

Oswald laughed.

Pluto ducked his head, looking at Kairi with guilt stricken puppy-dog eyes.

Unable to resist, Kairi scratched him behind the ear.

"Okay," Kairi stood, "one more time."

She held up her hands, and tried more time to do as Oswald had instructed, but every time she tried to imagine a flame in her chest, tried to move it down her arms and release it from her hands, there was nothing.

Kairi pouted. "Are you sure I have magic in me?"

Oswald's fur stood on end. "I'm a master mage. I know magic when I see it! Plus you got a lot of light in ya. That automatically means magic."

"Lots of light," Kairi repeated. "You know, on my last journey, my heart was with my friend Sora, and I learned about the worlds through his eyes. The people he met told him about the seven princesses of heart and that I'm one of them. But I don't know what means, or what kind of power I have and...what?"

Oswald closed his mouth but his wide eyes burned into her like the sun on a hot summer day.

"You're a princess of heart, and you're in here? But that's impossible."

"What do you mean?"

Oswald sat down next to Kairi. "Once, long ago, a great man tried to destroy the realm of darkness for good. He bought warriors, mages, and even hunted down all the princesses of heart to battle the darkness here. But the princesses couldn't enter where there was no light, and the darkness fought back. Many of the fighters lost their lives. Some even disappeared into the darkness. The leader was the only one to survive."

"What happened to him?"

Oswald's eyes narrowed. "Fighting the darkness changed him for the worse, and he was imprisoned somewhere no one could enter and escape without a special key."

Kairi closed her eyes, remembering her grandmother's story. Fighting over the light brought darkness into the world, but fighting _against_ the darkness did nothing but bring people pain. She remembered Ansem, and how he had taken over Riku's body. Did that mean that Riku wouldn't be able to fight the darkness? Did he have no choice but to give in?

Kairi rubbed her arms. Even if she found Riku and Sora, would things be the same between the three of them after all that had happened? After Riku had lost his way? Would he even still want to be friends?

She thought about Sora's promise. He swore to come back. He still had her lucky charm, that lazy bum! Plus, Kairi remembered, if Sora had faith in Riku, that he would come back, then Kairi had to believe in him too. There had to be light still in him somewhere, even deep in the darkness.

"You said that the princesses of light couldn't enter here, because they couldn't go where there was no light."

Oswald nodded.

"So, that means there must be a spec of light in here somewhere. Maybe, I can find it. Maybe, that light is the person that wrote the letter I have."

Or maybe it could be Riku. Kairi knew she had to find him. Besides, she thought with a smirk, she owed him a good talking to after all the stupid choices he had made on Sora's last adventure. But how to use her power to find him was the question. Maybe she could feel light nearby?

Kairi looked at Oswald. He was patting Pluto's back with a tiny smile on his face. Carefully, Kairi put her hand on Oswald's shoulder and concentrated.

There was warmth, like the tingling of laughter, that spread all through her chest. That must have been Oswald's light. Kairi pulled her hand back. She had also felt something else, a jolt like a cold rock hitting her skin. Oswald had darkness in him, not as much as the light, but it was there still. It happened so fast that by the time Oswald had felt her hand on him, she had already pulled away.

Kairi didn't have time to answer Oswald's questioning stare. Her mind was already turning. Standing, she closed her eyes and moved away from Oswald and Pluto. She turned in a circle until she felt something soft on her skin. Opening her eyes, she saw that she was facing Oswald again.

"I have an idea."

"Well, let's hear it."

"Move around me. I'm going to see if I can find you with my eyes closed. Oh, and try not to make any sounds."

Oswald patted his foot on the ground. "Soundless walking? That's a rabbit's specialty. Okay, no peeking!"

Closing her eyes again, Kairi concentrated on her ears, her sense of smell, and the feeling of the air around her. The realm of darkness was somehow damp and dry at the same time, the atmosphere didn't have any spice or stink. When she tried to sense a change in the airflow around her, there was nothing, so she tried imagining the joy and excitement she had felt in that split second when she had touched Oswald.

The back of her left ear felt warm. Kairi turned and stopped when her ear no longer tingled. She moved back into her original position, following the sensation with her steps. As she got closer, her body filled with the same tingly sensation, and she to press her teeth together to keep herself from laughing. Kairi reached out with her hands. Her fingers felt warm.

She touched something soft.

Opening her eyes, Kairi wanted to laugh and groan. She hadn't found Oswald, but Pluto wagged his tail excitedly at the fact that she was holding his cheeks. Kairi scratched his muzzle.

"Well, at least I can sense you. Good boy." She moved back, and pointed to the ground. "Stay."

Pluto sat down and didn't move even when Kairi had taken a few steps back. Again she tried to find Oswald. A few more steps and Kairi felt the familiar warmth of light on her toes. As she got closer, the warmth moved up her ankles and legs.

But then it was gone.

Cold needles worked their way up her legs, the warm laughter being replaced by pain and sorrow. The air around her sizzled with sinister energy. Kairi opened her eyes.

Heartless were coming.

The first one appeared at the ground near her feet. Its yellow eyes rolled to pinpoint her. A muscular arm, black as soot, reached out to grab her shoe, claws digging into the material. Kairi slipped her foot out of her shoe, falling backward as the rest of the heartless climbed out of the puddles of darkness on the ground.

Pluto must have deciding that staying wasn't a demand he needed to follow. He raced to Kairi, grabbed the back of her shirt and tried to pull her back, but the heartless that had grabbed her shoe reached out and clamped its claws around her ankle. Kairi screamed, but it only brought the attention of the other heartless.

Neon blue veins pulsed over the heartless' faces and arms as they moved slowly toward Kairi like lions stalking their kill. Pluto jumped over Kairi and bit the heartless that was holding her ankle, but the heartless only pulled Kairi harder. The other heartless moved to converge on Pluto. One more inch and the heartless would be on him. Kairi raised her arm, trying to imagine a fire, reciting the incantation over and over, but the magic refused to appear.

Oswald jumped down in front of her and obliterated a team of heartless with a golden flash of lightning. He raised his wand high, ready to take out the rest, but arms appeared from the ground and grabbed his legs, dragging him down. Kairi tried to reach out and grab him, but the moment her hand shot out, a heartless wrapped its long fingers around it.

Arms mummified her body. Pluto's whining reached her hears but she could no longer turn her head as another heartless wrapped its fingers around her neck. She couldn't breathe; she couldn't say the incantation for fire. Instead of heat, every bit of her body felt cold.

They were melting into the floor, and Kairi felt darkness seep up into her nose and ears until she heard nothing but silence. Kairi was drowning, every part of her body dissolving into an ocean of darkness that was ready to wash her away. Her arms and legs felt like jelly, like she was mixing with the sea of blackness, turning into liquid, liquid, liquid.

Kairi's neck and shoulders ached as she fought against the heartless that tried to push her back down. She wasn't ready to fade away, she was going to go back to the islands with her friends, she was going watch the ocean with them again, and she was ready to bring the full fury of the sea with her.

She pulled out of the heartless swamp just in enough to be able to scream.

"Water!"

A flood washed over her body, making her tumble head over heels underwater before she found herself sitting on the ground, staring at the massive puddle and the writhing, confused, dripping heartless trying to regain their wits. Oswald rose up from the puddle, shaking off the water from his fur.

Without wasting time, he dashed toward Pluto, picked up the dog and pushed Kairi several steps away before he pointed his wand at the heartless and shouted.

"Thundaga!"

Conducted by the water, blue and gold lightening cracked in the air and over the ground, charring the heartless. When the flashes faded, the heartless were gone.

Before Kairi could even catch her breath, Oswald jumped up and thumped her so hard on the back that she bent forward.

"That was amazing! You did it! Told you ya got magic!"

Kairi looked at the puddles of water, watching as they slowly evaporated.

"I did that? Cool!"

She grabbed Oswald's hands spun him around, laughing.

"That was so close! We would've been swallowed!"

Oswald laughed back, his ears flopping in the air. "We were almost got taken over by darkness!"

"This is crazy!"

"I'm so sorry!"

"It's okay!"

Kairi slowed down and put Oswald back on his feet. Once he was no longer swaying from dizziness, Oswald put his wand in her hand.

"You still need to practice."

"Right." Kairi picked up her shoe and put it back on.

"And we still have a lot of searching to do."

"Okay. But, I'm still going to keep my senses open, see if I can find any light. Let's go."

* * *

Of all the places that Castle's Oblivion's door spit them out into, did it have to be in the middle of a desert? Sora, Donald and Goofy trudged over the sand dunes, sweating and swearing as the heat bore down on them like an evil child with a magnifying glass.

Sora licked his lips, but his throat was too dry to produce much moisture. "I think I know where we are. It's flat and immense and the heat is intense."

"It's barbaric," Donald huffed.

"It's Agrabah."

Goofy perked up. "Sure hope we get ta see Aladdin and Jasmine."

"If we ever find our way out of this desert," Donald grumbled.

Jiminy hoped onto Sora's shoulder.

"I charted maps in my journal when we were here the first time. Let me see if I can direct us."

Sora, Donald and Goofy all stared at him, making the poor cricket raise his shoulders nervously.

"Is something wrong?"

"You make maps?" Donald said.

"That's amazing, Jiminy!" Goofy smiled. "What else have been keeping track of in there?"

Jiminy beamed. "Well, other then the chronicles of our journey, I also keep track of treasures we find, scores on any games we play, and the number of heartless we defeat. I thought it would be good data for His Majesty."

At the mention of the King, Donald and Goofy deflated.

"I hope we can get to the realm of darkness to find him soon. I'm so worried," Goofy said.

Donald slumped forward. "But you heard was Alice said. Maybe it's not the best idea."

"Come on guys! I'm sure we came back to Agrabah for a reason. Maybe we should ask another princess of light what she thinks."

"I don't know, Sora." Jiminy said. "I know we want to find our friends, but the King wouldn't want us to open the door to darkness after we have just closed it. Even if the door in Castle Oblivion does send us out into the dark realm, we can't be certain that nothing else will go through it."

Sora thought about Destiny Islands, about how one wrong decision from Riku, how opening one door, had destroyed their entire home. Jiminy had a point, but still, he couldn't just abandon his best friend. He still needed to apologize to Riku, for putting their rivalry over Kairi first, for not being a better friend and noticing that Riku was getting deeper into darkness.

Sora felt his chest tighten, like a needle was pressed into his heart. Would he have to decide between keeping the worlds safe as keyblade master, or his best friend?

"Hmm, according to my map, Abrabah should be that way." Jiminy pointed.

"Oh boy! We get to see Aladdin and Genie again!"

"And no Jafar this time," Donald added.

Sora shook his head. He had to have faith that he would find Riku again. If he could reunite with Aladdin, after the worlds were divided from each other, then he was sure he would find his best friend.

They walked for so long under the blistering heat that Donald casted blizzard spells over and over to cool down his feathers and provide water for Sora and Goofy. Jiminy assured them that they were going in the right direction, but still Sora couldn't help but doubt, until several men on camels passed them by. Then they walked over a mountain-sized dune and, on the other, the towers of Agrabah's palace rose up in the distance.

When they entered the city, it was nothing but bustling noise and a whiplash of color as the outskirts of the town were filled to bursting with merchants and stands filled with exotic fruit, fresh fish, sugar dates and peas, pretty necklaces for pretty ladies, all manner of carpets and silk, and the smell of sweet spice that made the desert heat just a bit more bearable.

Goofy's stomach growled and Donald excitedly ran to an apple merchant and then stuffed his face with three whole apples before he even thought about sharing with Sora and Goofy. While eating his apple, Sora looked around the bazaar.

It was so different then the city they had visited the first time they had come to Agrabah. Instead of a deserted town with only heartless to fill the empty space, now he saw veiled women carrying pots on their heads, merchants at their stalls restocking and haggling with customers, shoppers jostling through the crowds with their purchases stuffed under their arms, and camels that were eating hay by their caravans.

Sora looked at the wares at the stand next to him and saw all kinds of shawls, and beaded necklaces. Sora nearly chocked on his apple. There was a thalassa shell in among the beads. He leaned closer to the caravan, hardly believing his eyes. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out Kairi's good luck charm. The shells on the charm matched the color and shape of the one on the merchant's table.

"Where did you get that?"

The old man behind the counter pointed to the shell. "Ah, I see you're interested in the exceptionally rare. This shell was brought to me by one of the traveling caravans that venture over the sands that surround Agrabah. It's a mysterious thing, isn't it? I've never seen a shell this colorful. Think of the jewelry it will make."

"Where did the caravan travelers find it?"

"Lots of mysterious things can be found in Agrabah's deserts."

"Really? Where in the desert?"

The merchant began to tap the table. "Young man, I don't know where my suppliers get their items. Do you want the shell or not?"

"Do you know where the supplier is? Can I talk to him?"

The merchant smiled. "Of course I do, but that information doesn't come cheap."

"Really?" Sora opened his munny pouch with a huff. "How much do you want?"

"I don't want munny. I'd like for you to find me a rare jewel the likes of which I have never seen. I'll even throw in the shell as a bonus."

Donald came over to the stand and gave the merchant a glare. "Hey, you cheapskate!"

The merchant's smile became sweeter. "That will be two jewels, young man. Find them, and I'll tell you where to find the caravan."

Donald fumed. "Hey!"

"Make that three jewels."

Donald's face turned red, his entire body shook. Goofy and Sora grabbed him and dragged him away before he could throw a temper tantrum the size of a volcanic eruption. When they were several stalls away from the merchant, and Jiminy had finally managed to calm Donald down, Sora called for a huddle.

"How is there a thalassa shell in this world? Agrabah doesn't have any oceans, and I've only ever seen those shells on my island. I didn't even see any of those shells in Atlantica."

"Do ya think that Agrabah is connected to Destiny Islands somehow?"

"Maybe the worlds aren't as divided from each other as we think," Donald said. He angrily tapped his foot. "But we're not going to get any information out of that rotten merchant unless we pay him."

"Hey, fellers, what about the Cave of Wonders? Can't we get a couple of jewels there?"

Jiminy popped his head out of Sora's hood and opened his journal. "There was a lot of treasure in the Cave of Wonders the last time we were there. But keep in mind; Jafar's lamp might also be there. It's dangerous. We might need some backup."

Sora couldn't help but grin. "Now we really don't have any excuse not to go see Aladdin. Let's go find him!"

Finding Aladdin's house was an easy thing. Finding Aladdin himself, however, was like trying to catch air. Sora, Donald and Goofy had gone through the entire town before they arrived at the palace gates to see if they could talk to Jasmine instead. The burly, bearded guard standing at the gate glared at them when they neared.

Feeling a little nervous, Sora motioned for Donald and Goofy to stand back as he neared the gate.

"Excuse me? We'd like to enter the palace to see Princess Jasmine. I'm her friend, Sora."

"And I'm Captain Razoul and I say no one gets into the palace without an invitation."

"If you tell her I'm here, I'm sure she'll let me in."

Captain Razoul smiled. For a tall, brutish looking guy, he had surprisingly straight teeth. He bowed.

"Oh I see. A friend of the princess eh? Well in that case."

He grabbed Sora's shirt and lifted him up into the air.

"Do you take me for a fool boy? No one enters the palace."

Sora kicked and summoned his keybalde in his hand, glaring down at the guard. "I'm warning you, if you don't put me down."

"Oh, of course, how rude of me."

Sora felt his stomach flip when the guard threw him backward. He braced to hit the sand, but landed on something soft instead. Blinking, Sora looked down at Donald and Goofy. Their eyes rolled in their heads.

Still dizzy, but the first to always worry, Goofy reached up to pat Sora's head. "You okay, Sora?"

"Thanks for catching me, guys."

Donald shook his head, finally recovering. Back on his feet, he jumped up and down with his fists in the air.

"I've had it up to here with this big, dumb, rude, waaaah!" Donald pulled back his sleeves and charged at Captain Razoul.

The guard responded by unsheathing his scimitar and pointing it at Donald. Raising his staff in the air, Donald's body buzzed with electricity. Razoul swung his sword. Goofy leapt forward and managed to catch Donald just before he could become duck kabob, but Razoul's sword still swung down. It didn't hit Donald and Goofy.

Sora stood between his friends and the guard, his keyblade pushing the sword back.

"What's with you?"

"I'm merely doing my job as a palace guard. I've already failed this city once, I will not allow anyone to bother the royal family again, and that includes you, street rat!"

"Come on, Razoul," said a familiar voice. "Do you really have to be so suspicious of every new face in Agrabah? It's kind of sad."

Razoul's face wrinkled at the speaker. He put away his sword and glared at someone over Sora's shoulder. Sora didn't get the change to turn around, because at that very moment something soft and fluffy landed on his head. Yelping in surprise, he only relaxed when a monkey's upside down face appeared in front of his eyes.

"Abu?"

"The only sad thing here," Razoul growled, "is that the princess still has you in her good graces, street rat."

"You'll never change eh? Stubborn old guard."

Sora finally got a hold of the monkey, transferring him to his shoulder just as the guard stomped away from the gate. Turning, Sora saw Aladdin, with a very smug look on his face, shrugging as the guard harangued on and on about how lawless outlaws like him did not belong in the castle, much less in the company of the princess of Agrabah.

"Bla, bla, bla. Razoul, seriously," Aladdin put a hand on the guard's shoulder, "take it easy. You're going to burst a blood vessel."

Like brushing off a fly, Razoul slapped Aladdin's hand off his shoulder. "The sooner you get out of my sight the better, street rat."

"Oh, I will. Just open the gate and let my friends pass."

At first, Sora thought he wasn't going to do it. Razoul's face was puffy red with so much annoyance that Sora worried that the guard would throw Aladdin into the dirt. Finally, Razoul whistled to the other guards high up on the wall. The gates groaned open and Sora hustled Donald and Goofy through before the guards could change their minds. Aladdin strolled in easily behind them, bowing to Razoul for good measure.

When the gates closed behind them, Abu climbed off Sora's shoulder and landed on Aladdin's head.

"You picked the wrong guard to be polite to." Aladdin held out his fist. "It's been a while, Sora."

Bumping fists with Aladdin, Sora's cheeks hurt from grinning.

"It's a good thing you were walking by."

"You got that right."

"Hey, don't forget us," Donald whined.

Aladdin lead the way through the outer gardens of the palace into the white, marble interior. "No way I'd be forgetting you," he said. "What are you doing here? Jasmine said that the worlds were divided again. Is something going on?"

By the time they had finished explaining, Aladdin had led them through the palace and into a throne room so pearly white and spacious that for a moment, Sora's head spun. All the way at the other side of the throne room was a single throne. A lovely young woman with midnight-black hair was sitting in it, reading a scroll so long that it rolled off her blue, puffy pants and onto the floor.

As Aladdin neared, she looked up, smiled, and handed the scroll to the ornate carpet that had been floating at her side. The carpet's corner tassel moved like a hand, and he accepted the scroll before floating upright to stand like a person.

The girl came forward with her arms outstretched.

"Sora, Donald, Goofy! It's so good to see you!"

The trio bowed. Even Jiminy, back on Sora's shoulder, removed his hat and bent forward. "Your Highness, Princess Jasmine."

Jasmine huffed. "Stand please. I should be the one bowing to you, after all you've done to get me back home and after you helped Aladdin defeat Jafar."

"All in a day's work," said Sora, straightening. "Seems Agrabah is back to normal now."

"Of course. There hasn't been a heartless attack since you were here last. And Aladdin and Carpet have been keeping a watchful eye on the city."

"What about Genie?"

Aladdin chuckled. "He's off, exploring the world, enjoying the great outdoors."

"That's great," Goofy said.

"So," Jasmine began, "are you on another journey? What brings you here?"

Sora dug into his pocket and took out Kairi's good luck charm. "Well, actually. We wanted to get your opinion on something, as a Princess of Light."

As Sora explained, Jasmine's expression hardened.

"I can understand how you want to find your friend, but I agree with Alice. It's risky."

"But there's so much we don't know about the heartless and the darkness. Can it really be all bad?"

Goofy tapped his forehead thoughtfully. "Gee, if it weren't so dark at night, we wouldn't be able ta sleep, so it can't be all bad, I think."

Donald tapped his foot. "I don't think that's what Sora meant."

"But Goofy still has a point. Darkness exists in every heart. It's in every world too. How do we keep the darkness in but the heartless out?"

Jasmine shook her head. "Sora, as the keyblade master, you should know more then anyone how dangerous heartless can be, especially to a world out there with a keyhole that hasn't been locked yet." Jasmine's eyes became soft. "It know it's a hard choice to make, between your friends and your duty. Think about all the worlds you may be putting at risk."

"But I've beaten back the darkness before. I can take it down again. _We_ can take it down again. Don't you believe in us?"

Jasmine smiled despite herself. "I do, but just because you can doesn't mean you should."

"She's very wise, Sora," Jiminy said. "I think you should heed her advice."

Disappointment bubbled in Sora's gut. His logic warred with his heart. Jasmine and Alice were both right, but if he didn't keep going, how else was he going to find Riku and the king. Did he really have no choice to abandon them? He had sworn that he would keep searching until he had reunited with both Riku and Kairi, but, when he faced the issue truthfully, he knew that Kairi wouldn't approve of him releasing so many heartless into the worlds just to get Riku back.

Yet he couldn't help but feel as though it were his fault that Riku had sunk so deep into the darkness in the first place. If only Sora had tried harder to reach him, to support him. If only he hadn't turned against him back when they reunited inside Monstro the whale, if only he hadn't been trying to one up him on the islands. When had they gone from friends to rivals?

"Sora? You okay?"

Sora looked up at Aladdin and pasted a smile on his face. "I'm just fine. Jasmine's right. I won't open the door to the realm of darkness. A-anyway, the three of us have to go to the Cave of Wonders for a bit. See ya."

Before Donald and Goofy could question him, Sora dragged them out of the throne room and all the way back to the palace courtyard.

"Hey," Donald protested, "what about the thalassa shell?"

Goofy pouted. "And what about asking for Aladdin's help in the Cave of Wonders?"

"We're going there alone."

Goofy put a nervous hand under his chin. "We're not going with our friends?"

"We'll be fine on our own."

"Sora? Are you okay?" Donald said.

"It's nothing."

"I want to find the king too," Donald said, "but Jasmine and Alice both have a point. Maybe we should just try to find a way out of Castle Oblivion and see if we can find Pluto. We still haven't read the king's letter. For all we know the king could be out of the realm of darkness by now."

Sora felt the heat rising in his chest. What about Riku? He turned around and opened his mouth but then a shadow passed over his head. The carpet from the throne room hovered down from sky, Aladdin stood on top of it. As the rug came down to the ground, Aladdin came between Sora, Donald and Goofy.

"You three really didn't think you'd go to the Cave of Wonders without me and Carpet did you?"

Sora couldn't think of an excuse fast enough. "Huh? But-"

"You'll need Carpet's help to get through the desert. Hop on."

Donald and Goofy didn't hesitate. Sora got on Carpet as well, but as they flew over the desert, the ambivalence still gnawed at his heart. After everything he had done to save the worlds on their previous adventures, it annoyed him that Alice and Jasmine didn't believe he could take down anything the realm of darkness had to throw at them. Yet, at the same time, he had to remember that both princesses had seen the terror of what darkness could do first hand.

He wouldn't wish what had happened to Hollow Bastion to happen to Agrabah, or London, but didn't they trust him when he said he would be careful and that there was no way he would allow the worlds to fall into ruin?

By the time they reached the Cave of Wonders, night had fallen, and Sora hadn't come up with any answers. He caught Donald and Goofy staring at him from over their shoulders from time to time during the carpet ride. Now wasn't the time to be upset. They still had the mystery of the thalassa shell to figure out. If Agrabah and the Destiny Islands were connected somehow, Sora wondered if he could go home, at least for a little while. Kairi was there. Maybe her advice, as a princess of heart, would be different.

Soothed by the thought, Sora jumped off Carpet with the rest of his friends. The desert sands were still and silent. The air had a chill that bit into Sora's skin. A moment later, a breeze sent needles of pain through his body and made his teeth chatter. The wind pushed the sands, swirling them up into a tornado.

Sora watched as the sands stacked on top of each other, molding into a mountain. The winds slowed down, and the tornado slowly faded away. A giant tiger's head rose up from the sand. The face of the tiger leered down at them with golden eyes, its massive mouth opened wide.

All though Sora had been in the Cave of Wonders before, he still felt a little nervous going down the tiger's mouth every time he neared it. As they rose up onto the Tiger's lips and looked down into its throat, a set of stairs appeared. An orange torch-like glow lighted the walls.

They descended the stairs. The long hallway eventually opened up to underground cave full of raised platforms, traps, and bottomless pits. Sora, Donald and Goofy kept their guard up, walking behind Aladdin and Carpet with their weapons raised but no heartless jumped at them.

"By the way," Aladdin said as they ventured deeper into the cave, "you never told me why you had to come here."

Sora explained about the thalassa shell and the caravan merchant that had found it.

"That's strange. How did something that belongs in your world end up here?"

"Maybe the worlds are connected in some way after all. I mean," Sora put a hand on his chest, "if our hearts are connected, maybe our worlds can be too?"

"Maybe our connection is what is bringing our worlds closer together," Aladdin winked.

"Ayuck! It would be nice if the worlds came together. Then we can visit our friends whenever we like."

Sora felt his spirits brighten a little. "Yeah. That would cool."

They passed through an archway and came out into the deepest part of the Cave of Wonders. As they entered the next cavern, a feeling of awe washed over them. Though it wasn't the first time Sora had seen the treasure room, it still blew his mind whenever they entered. The entire cavern was painted gold. Mountains of coins, gems, jewelry, golden plates, goblets, even giant vases covered every inch of the floor.

The sparkle of the treasure reflected in Donald's eyes and he couldn't help reaching out to try to grab a handful like a child being tempted to steal cookies from the jar.

"Donald," Sora and Goofy scolded.

Donald turned around quickly from a treasure pile, his hands behind his back, giving them a sheepish look. "I'm just looking for the jewel that merchant might like."

Sora loomed over Donald. "Oh really?"

"Yes really."

"Then you wouldn't mind if I do this." Sora grabbed Donald by his feet and held him upside down, shaking him.

"Ah! Put me down!"

Coins, jewels and anything he could get he grubby little hands on, tumbled out of Donald's pockets. Sora was amazed the little duck had managed to stash so much treasure in such a short amount of time. Now that was talent.

Donald wailed, trying to grab all the gold and stuff it back in his pockets, but Sora's shakes made it hard to catch the treasure out of the air.

"Stop it! My treasure!"

"We don't need it! We have tons of munny! Stop being so greedy!"

While Sora was busy trying to convince Donald that they couldn't just take all the gold in the cave with them, Goofy and Aladdin were distracted by Carpet. As soon as they had entered the treasure room, the carpet had flown out of sight and was diving into the mountains of gold. Finally, Carpet resurfaced from under the treasure and flew across the air to land at Goofy's feet.

Carpet was holding three star-shaped rubies in its tassel. Brushing the rubies off, Carpet gave them to Goofy.

"Gosh. It's pretty. Thank you, Carpet."

Sora, still holding Donald upside down by one leg, walked over to inspect the jewels. Bright red and glittering, he could see his multiple reflections in the jewels' facetted surface.

"Wow. I'm sure that merchant won't be able to say no to this."

"Can you put me down now," Donald growled.

"Sure, except this time, you're carrying Jiminy."

Donald groaned, but didn't complain when Jiminy moved to sit on his hat. Sora was sure the cricket could keep Donald in line, at least until they left the treasure room. Goofy pocketed the gems and the group turned to leave. Just outside the archway, Sora saw something move over the treasure in the corner of his eye.

"Did you see that?"

Donald put a hand over his eyes, looking around. "See what?"

"There," Aladdin pointed.

A shadow moved over the treasure.

"A heartless?" Goofy said.

Aladdin whistled and Carpet put itself flat on the ground. Jumping on top of Carpet, he waved for Sora and the others to climb on. "If it is a heartless, we have to get rid of it. Jasmine's been working so hard to get Agrabah back to normal. I don't want all her hard work to go to waste."

They flew over the gold, keeping their eyes peeled for shadows where there shouldn't be. Then Carpet flew deeper into the caves, beyond the treasure, through a dark blue tube, and out into a gloomy cavern with a lake. Carpet lay flat on the ground, allowing Sora, Donald, Goofy and Aladdin off. Once free from his burden, Carpet bounced up and down, pointing with its tassel.

Following the direction Carpet had indicated, Sora saw a shadow slithering along the cave floor. It wasn't the familiar shape of a heartless. In fact, it was the shape of a tall, thin man in a top hat. The shadow moved toward the lake, over the stepping-stones toward a high pillar of rocks stacked one on top of each other.

Aladdin looked up at the top of the rock pillar. At the summit, there was a raised stone under a spotlight. "No! That's where the lamp is!"

Sora felt all of his muscles seize. "Jafar's lamp?"

Aladdin hopped onto Carpet. "He's a genie now remember! This is where he would be kept!"

The four friends jumped back on Carpet and flew through the sky toward the top of the pillar. Something flashed, and a ball of green light flew right at them. Carpet swerved out of the way, but its fabric caught fire. Donald and Goofy tried to pat down the flame, but the fire only grew, the green flames burning Carpet's back end to cinders.

Unable to fly, it floated weakly toward the lake. The water doused the fire. The four friends swam back to the bottom of the stone pillar. Donald and Goofy dragged Carpet out of the water.

The poor rug was half singed. It lay flat on the ground, trembling. Goofy held one of its tassels.

"Are you okay, Carpet?"

The rug shook its top half, no.

Donald pointed to the top of the pillar. "We'll stay here with Carpet. You two go and stop that shadow!"

Sora and Aladdin nodded and raced up the stairs, but when they reached the top it wasn't a shadow looming over Jafar's black lamp. It was a suave looking man. Leaning casually on his cane, the man tossed the lamp up and down in his free hand.

"Gentleman. You're late for the reunion party."

"Whoever you are, you'd better put that back where you found it," Aladdin warned. "You have no idea how dangerous that is."

"Now, do you really think that's fair, deriding my knowledge like that?" He brought his other hand closer to the lamp.

Sora, didn't wait, hurling his keyblade through the air at the man's hand. Something black and swirly appeared in front of the man. It hit the keyblade in midair, sending it hurtling down into the lake below. Sora raised his hand to call his keyblade back, but then felt himself falling backward onto his behind. Aladdin came down next to him. From underneath his legs, Sora spotted a shadow slithering across the stone floor, the same shadow that had crossed the rocks down below. The shadow moved across the platform, attaching to the tall man's feet.

Mama Odie's warning echoed in Sora's head.

"A shadow man? Are you the one that cursed Naveen and Tiana?"

The shadow man tipped his hat. "Dr. Facilier if you please. Enchanté."

He rubbed the lamp.

The cave rumbled as red smoke exploded from the lamp's tip. The smoke spread outward like a fan, lightning flashing within it. A sinister laugher echoed in the cave, making the lake water rise and fall in harsh waves below.

"Ah, Jafar," sang Dr. Facilier, "it's your lucky day. For you have a master with wishes that align with yours."

Aladdin regained his feet and jumped forward to try and snatch the lamp from Dr. Facilier's hand but the shadow man was thin and hard to catch, easily fox-trotting away from Aladdin's lunges.

"For my first wish," Dr. Facilier aimed his cane low, tripping Aladdin, "let's go terrorize Agrabah."

Sora wasn't fast enough, and neither was the blizzard spell he threw at Dr. Facilier. The man, his shadow, the lamp, and Jafar's red smoke all vanished, but not without leaving something behind. A pool of darkness remained where Dr. Facilier had stood, and out it rose a black, feminine shape.

Then, yellow eyes opened wide, a heart shaped symbol appearing on the creature's abdomen. It stood tall, with long antenna like pigtails and pink ribbons that extended from its slender body. Without warning, it raised its leg and aimed a kick at Sora's face.

He ducked, but not fast enough. The heartless' attack connected with his temple. Sora fell backward, the world spinning in front of his eyes. From far away he heard the sound of punches and kicks and the slicing of a sword cutting through the air, but his head was too full of spirals to understand it.

There was a hand on his shoulder, and then a warm feeling that trickled down from the top of his head to his toes and suddenly the world stopped spinning.

"Sora, move!"

A foot was coming down on top of his head. Sora rolled backward and then nearly lost his balance at the edge of the platform. Aladdin reached out, grabbed his hand and steadied him, but the heartless was still attacking. It threw out its arm, and the ribbon attached to it looped around Sora's wrist. Before he could even try to counterattack, the heartless hurled the ribbon into the air, sending Sora flying like a fish on a hook.

Upside down and disoriented, Sora saw Aladdin and the heartless clashing, sword versus kick, down below. His keyblade appeared in his hand, and as Sora fell, he kept his eyes locked on the pink ribbon at his wrist.

Red fire pooled at the tip of his keyblade. Sora wrapped the ribbon around the shaft of his weapon and then fired.

"Firaga!"

The ribbon ignited, the fire following the cloth all the way down to its owner. Too busy engaging Aladdin, the heartless flinched when the fire spell hit it square on the back. It pulled its ribbon back to it, and Sora fell, the water down below ready to pull him in.

He landed on something soft, but still he dunked into the lake. Sora resurfaced fast enough to see Carpet struggling to stay afloat. He reached out and grabbed a handful of Carpet's material before it could sink below the lake's surface.

Looking up, he spotted Aladdin, still fighting the heartless. The heartless blazed from Sora's fire spell, but it wasn't slowing down. Its movements were graceful and precise even as its ribbons began to disintegrate.

Donald and Goofy were running up the steps to help Aladdin but weren't able to reach him. The heartless was throwing its fiery ribbons at them, keeping them at bay.

"It's keeping us separate on purpose," Sora whispered.

With Carpet in his hand, he swam back to the opening of the cave and screamed.

"Guys! Don't fight it! Run!"

Donald and Goofy were the first to react, racing back toward the opening of the cave. Aladdin, still the closest the heartless, was able to summersault out of the way of the heartless' kick and then race back toward the bottom. Once he reunited with Donald and Goofy, the heartless backed off, keeping its distance, its ribbons getting closer to its body.

It looked up, saw Sora alone at the cave's entrance and charged.

Exactly like Sora wanted.

"Carpet," Sora whispered, "I know you're tired, but do you think you have enough in you to do one more thing?"

Carpet gave him a thumb's up.

"Okay, when the heartless get's close, I want you to trip it."

Sora let go of Carpet, saw the rug lie flat against the floor, raised his keyblade and felt the chill of his ice spell freezing the air around him. The heartless was several feet away, its ribbon stretching out to reach him.

"Blizaga!"

A torpedo of ice flew toward the heartless. It jumped over the attack and landed right on top of Carpet. Sora ducked its swing and then Carpet rolled out from underneath it, making the heartless reel backward and off balance for only a second, but it was enough time for Goody's shield to smack it from behind, followed by Donald's second fire spell, which distracted the heartless just enough for Aladdin to get close behind it and slice it with his sword, leaving Sora to deliver the finishing blow from the front.

He clocked the heartless right the head and it crumbled to the ground, leaving nothing but dark ash and flames. Sora reached down and carefully rolled up Carpet in his arms.

"Thanks. For saving me from bellyflopping dead into the lake, and for giving it your all."

Carpet waved him off, as if to say "no problem."

"I'm sorry," Sora tucked the rug under his arm. "Will Carpet stay broken like this?"

"Carpet should be fine as soon as Genie comes back," Aladdin answered, "but right now we have to get to Agrabah. There's no telling what Jafar and that Dr. Facilier guy will do.

Goofy reached into his pocket and pulled out four glass bottles. He handed each member of the party a potion.

"You might need these, fellars. That was a tough battle."

After drinking down the warm, sweet liquid, the group raced to the entrance of the Cave of Wonders. Sora hoped that Agrabah would still be standing by the time they reached it.

* * *

"Water!"

A torrent washed away the heartless in Kairi's path, sending them flying into the dark abyss down below, but another heartless troupe appeared in its place. Kairi whistled, and Oswald sprang forward from behind her, barbecuing the heartless with a thunder spell.

Oswald and Kairi gave each other a double high-five.

"You've gotten a lot better at channeling magic," Oswald said.

"I still feel like I still have a long way to go. If you weren't here with me, I don't know if I could fight off all these heartless by myself. They just keep coming." Kairi sighed. "I feel like we've been fighting the same ones over and over."

"We probably are."

"What do you mean?"

"Without a keyblade, we can never stop them. We can only keep them away for a little while, because they will spawn again and again. I know I've fought the same heartless a bunch of times."

"There must be a really important reason you're in here."

"There is. I'm also looking for someone."

"They must be special."

Oswald looked at his wand, his eyes softening. "She is."

Kairi leaned down so that she was looking straight into Oswald's eyes. A sly smile spread across her face. "She?"

Oswald's cheeks turned pink. "W-we should keep going. Do you sense light anywhere?"

"Come on, Ozzie. Don't change the subject! I want to know about this special lady."

Oswald's ears sprang back up, his black fur standing on end. "Ozzie?"

"Haven't I earned the nickname level of friendship yet?"

"Not until you've mastered the water spell."

Kairi poked him on the nose. "Come on. I'm going to keep asking about her until you tell me."

Oswald jumped backward and began tapping his foot on the ground. "No."

"Okay, I'll make you a deal. I'll stop asking about the mystery lady if you tell me one thing about her."

Oswald narrowed his eyes. "Really?"

"Promise." Kairi held up her pinky.

Oswald wrapped his pinky around hers. "One thing? It can be anything?"

"Yup. One."

"I'm not leaving the realm of darkness until I find her."

"Hey! That doesn't count! That's more about you."

"You said it could be anything." Oswald winked. "Now it's your turn to share."

Kairi reached out to pinch Oswald's cheek but then pulled her hand back. She wrapped her arms around herself, feeling something tingly in her toes. Oswald stood alert, looking around, searching for heartless. When none came, he walked over to Kairi and put his hand on her shoulder.

"Kairi? What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I just have a weird feeling."

"Like what?"

Kairi tried thinking of words to explain. It was as though she had remembered something scary, some deep, dark, night terror that made her snap awake at night, but she didn't know what. It as just a feeling, like she had gone days without sleep, or felt a weakness in her bones that said something had happened that wasn't supposed to. She had felt this way before, once, when the islands were being destroyed.

"It's like, I'm tired all of a sudden. Like something, somewhere is taking away all my strength."

"What do you think caused it?"

The words she spoke hadn't come from her mind, hadn't been there consciously. She felt them in her heart.

"Somewhere, in the realm of light, an evil wish was made."

* * *

_**Jiminy's Journal:**_

Aladdin (First Appeared in Aladdin, 1992): A quick witted, agile and optimistic citizen of Agrabah. He is dedicated to helping Jasmine put Agrabah back together again after Jafar and the heartless' attack, but is always willing to join Sora on a little adventure. Aladdin is kind and a team player, always willing to help others in need.

Captain Razoul (First Appeared in Aladdin, 1992): Captain of the guard for the Royal Family of Agrabah. Razoul is a stubborn man that judges a person based on their status. Despite his black and white view of justice, he is a loyal guard.

Princess Jasmine (First Appeared in Aladdin, 1992): Princess of Agrabah and one of the seven princesses of the purest heart, Jasmine has taken over ruling since losing her father at Jafar's hands. Highly intelligent and independent, Jasmine is not the type to let others order her around or decide what's best for her kingdom. She is able to see a plan from many angles and gives Sora some wise advice about his responsibility as keyblade master.

Abu (First Appeared in Aladdin, 1992): A monkey who's Aladdin's right hand pal. He loves treasure so make sure he isn't stealing anything he isn't supposed to.

Carpet (First Appeared in Aladdin, 1992): An enchanted Carpet from the cave of wonders. Loyal and brave, Carpet assists Aladdin and Jasmine in taking care of Agrabah and occasionally takes the two out on a romantic evening.

Dr. Facilier (First Appeared in The Princess and the Frog, 2009): A witch doctor with control over the shadows. He's as smooth as he is devious. His shadow is something to watch out for, as is his mysterious knowledge about other worlds.


	7. Chapter 6: The Counter Spell

**_Chapter 6: The Counter Spell_**

* * *

From far away, Agrabah looked like a giant had stomped on everything except the palace. Darkness oozed from the rubble. Black shadows chipped off cracked walls and broken pots, like ash after a fire. Sora, Donald and Goofy walked behind Aladdin, their eyes wide at the state of the city. Of all the worlds they had been to, none of them, not even Hollow Bastion had gotten that level of destruction.

As they walked deeper into the ruins, a cry ripped through the air. Rushing toward the noise, they spotted a woman and a child, cowering in the middle of a group of heartless. The creatures were peeling off the walls and the floor, creeping closer to the mother and her son. She shielded him with her body, and the heartless pounced.

Without waiting, Sora and Donald stretched Carpet between them and used it as a slingshot to send Goofy flying through the air. He got between the civilians and the heartless just in time to protect himself and the victims with his shield. Confused, the heartless didn't see Sora, Donald, and Aladdin creep up behind them. Donald fried the farthest heartless with fire magic, while Aladdin and Sora made quick work with the others, slashing them in half.

Once the danger had passed, Goofy checked on the mother and son.

"Thank you," she said, her eyes red with unshed tears.

Aladdin knelt down and put his hand on the boy's head. "You're safe now."

The child nodded at him, too stunned to speak.

"Can you tell us what happened here?"

The mother's voice shook as she spoke. "A red storm cloud crept over the city, and the next thing we know, those creatures are appearing out of thin air, destroying everything and everyone. The guards tried to save as many people as they could, tried to get them to the palace, but, we-"

She broke down into tears, squeezing her son's shoulders.

"Everything's okay now," Sora said, "we'll get you to the palace."

"But there might be more people in the city that need help," Goofy said.

Donald put up his hand, catching the group's attention. "Let's split up. Goofy and I will search the city. You two, get to the palace and see what's going on."

Donald handed Carpet to Sora.

"I think you should get Carpet someplace safe too."

Without wasting time, Goofy and Donald raced into the dilapidated city while Aladdin and Sora carefully guided the mother and son toward the palace. Heartless popped out of the air the further they walked. The darkness was thickest near the castle, blocking out the sun. Agrabah had gone from sweltering heat to freezing cold in minutes, but still Sora and Aladdin battled wave after wave of heartless while defending the civilians at the same time.

Just a few streets away from the gates of the palace, an army of heartless stood in their path. Aladdin told the mother and son to find a place to hide as they approached the army. The heartless twitched as the got closer, as if sensing danger. They stood with swords in their hands like a brigade of bandits ready to terrorize anyone still unlucky enough to cross their path.

Civilians cowered in front of the palace gates, and standing between them and the heartless as their only line of defense were Razoul and his men. A heartless jumped at Razoul and he defeated it with his scimitar, but the rest of the heartless swarmed at him, knocking him down, and then turning their attack on his guards.

The people cried out, covering their faces with their arms. Sora summoned up all the magical power he had in him, feeling electricity zing inside his bones. He grabbed Aladdin's arm and then threw his keyblade behind the two of them.

"Thundaga!"

The spell rocketed them forward at breakneck speed. Sora screamed over the wind.

"Get ready!"

Next to him, Aladdin grit his teeth, concentrating hard on the enemies.

They flashed through the heartless, gutting anything with sword and keyblade before they stopped inches in front of the crowd. Completely winded from the attack, Aladdin and Sora fell over, gasping.

"Did we get them?"

Aladdin rolled over, a weak smile on his face. "Yeah. But don't ever shoot me that fast through the air again."

"Deal."

Razoul, now free from all the heartless, stomped over to stand over them.

"Explain this street rat!"

"Explain what?" Aladdin flipped back on his feet. "How we just saved you, your men and all these people?"

"What? Are you expecting a thank you? For all I know, you caused all this!"

Sora's fury propelled him to his feet. "Hey, you big, dumb bum!"

"Forget it, Sora. Some people are too stubborn to change." Aladdin glared at Razoul. "Instead of picking a fight with me, maybe you should get these people to safety."

"I don't take orders from you," Razoul growled. "Men! Get these people to safety. And you two: go and clean up whatever mess you unleashed."

"One more thing, Razoul. There's a mother and son back there."

Razoul gave Aladdin a seething look, but went after the mother and her child all the same.

As quickly as they could, Aladdin and Sora herded the people into the palace. The gates had been ripped open, the inner gardens of the palace crackling with fire. Just as Sora and Aladdin reached the doors that led deeper into the palace, a horde of heartless popped right out of the air.

Sora readied his weapon, counting the number of heartless' emblems on each enemy. He jumped in the air and smacked his keyblade down on three heartless at once. Aladdin followed his lead and then the two of them danced, back to back, hacking and slashing heartless as they moved like a spinning top.

The last heartless fell and Sora, Aladdin, the civilians and the guards entered the palace. Despite all the destruction outside, the inside of the palace remained untouched and clean. They burst into the throne room, which was full to the brim with civilians. Jasmine was going around the room, soothing people with a smile even though her face was grey with exhaustion, and her legs trembled with every step.

Aladdin reached her in seconds.

"Are you all right?"

When Jasmine spoke, her voice came out in gasps. "Holding back the darkness is draining. Jafar and some thin man with a shadow have been attacking the castle for hours." She swayed, moments away from losing her balance.

The castle rumbled above, causing an echo of unease to ripple through the people. Razoul and his guards worked to keep the peace while Aladdin let Jasmine lean on him as he guided her to the throne to sit down.

"I don't know how much longer I can keep this up," Jasmine panted. "It's so much harder to keep the darkness at bay alone."

"You're not alone," Sora said. "We just have to go out there and take out Jafar and Dr. Facilier."

He raised his keyblade in the air and chanted. "Curaga."

Three bellflowers appeared in the air above Jasmine's head, sending out droplets of energy and warmth like a spring breeze. Her face brightened a little.

"That should buy us some time," Sora said to Aladdin, "but we should deal with Jafar before Jasmine's strength runs out."

Jasmine reached out and grabbed Aladdin's hand. "Be careful."

"When am I not?"

She smirked. "Really? You don't run head first into trouble without thinking?"

"I'm a street rat remember? I improvise."

"Sora, please watch out for him."

"I will."

"Hey," Aladdin said in a mock hurt voice, "I can watch out for myself."

Jasmine squeezed his hand. "I know that, but together, you're stronger. Go."

Sora put Carpet in Jasmine's lap and left the palace with Aladdin. A sandstorm raged right outside the castle gates. Shapes appeared through the brown air, rushing toward them. Sora and Aladdin drew their weapons, but then the figures came closer. A few more civilians passed them, rushing into the castle. Right behind them were Donald and Goofy.

They watched the people enter the palace. Donald and Goofy didn't question Aladdin and Sora. One look on their focused expression was all they needed.

The party moved deeper into the sandstorm. The tempest scrapped Sora's skin and he had to walk half blind, with a hand over his squinted eyes. Next to him, Donald chanted and then raised his staff. A gust of summer wind rose up from the ground, swirling around each of them like a barrier.

"Aeroga," Donald chanted.

Now protected, they moved faster through the brown blur. Then Sora caught it. A shadow moved across the floor. It stopped below his feet, smiling up at him and clapping.

"I must thank you," came Dr. Faciliar's baritone voice.

The shadow slithered behind them. Turning, Sora watched as Dr. Faciliar moved in an air bubble through the sandstorm. He took off his hat and bowed.

"Thank you, for opening the castle's door to this world." He brought Jafar's lamp out from behind him, and raised it in the air.

Aladdin rushed forward, trying to grab the lamp but it was too late.

"For my final wish. I wish for you, Jafar, to be free of this lamp."

The lamp disintegrated in Dr. Facilier's hand. Furious, Aladdin tried to slash Dr. Facilier with his sword, but the Shadow Man vanished into purple smoke. In his place, there was cruel laughter that rumbled in the sky like thunder.

The sandstorm turned from brown to red. It blew in one direction, amalgamating into a shape. The dust morphed from sand to smoke, blackening. It swirled and slowly shrank in size and then Jafar walked out of the smoke. His red and black clothes sizzled with dark electricity. His long, thin face twisted into an insane smile.

Jafar curved his long neck down at them contemptuously. "I must thank the Shadow Man for his kind gesture. Never would I have dreamed I'd get the chance for such sweet revenge."

He raised his cobra headed staff, and a beam of red light flew over the ground, splitting it in half, separating Aladdin from the rest of the group. Sora, Donald and Goofy charged, but Jafar took a deep breathe and simply blew at them.

Daggers of cold air flew at Sora, Donald and Goofy, and without having time to react they were instantly frozen.

"Chill for a while," Jafar cackled, "while I deal with the street rat."

Jafar's deranged grin widened as he flew through the air. Lasers flew out of his staff, searing the ground where Aladdin had been a second before. Completely outmatched, Aladdin could only use his agility to run and dodge.

Sora watched helplessly, feeling his fingers and toes tingle from the ice he was trapped in. Instead of shivering, he felt as though every bit of him were on fire. Every muscle in his body seized. He could barely breathe: the ice had covered his nose and mouth. It was creeping up higher to cover his hair.

The only thing he could do was move his eyes. Then he saw the end of Donald's staff. It was sticking out of the ice, red flames building up at the tip. Seconds later, Donald's staff was completely aflame, the ice melting from his arm, then his torso, and finally his face. He stumbled out of the ice, shook his head and then faced Goofy and Sora.

"Get ready! Fire!"

Sora gasped for air, only to exhale in a scream as his body went from burning from the ice, to melting from the fire. Goody jumped up and down, patting his smocking clothes. Donald came to the center of the three of them, raising his staff high.

"Curaga!"

The burns and blisters from the fire and ice erased from Sora's skin. Donald collapsed.

Goofy bent down to help him, but Donald waved them off.

"Go help Aladdin."

Goofy dug into his pocket and put a bottle filled with blue and red liquid in the ground next to Donald.

"I was saving this ether for an emergency. Drink it."

Sora gave Donald a potion. "Thanks Donald."

The duck was busy pulling the cork off the ether bottle, desperate to try and replenish his magic. "Stop staring at me and go," he snapped.

Sora and Goofy raced through the buildings, chasing the sound of Jafar's laugher and the cracks and booms of his attacks. They rounded a corner, and then they were in the market place. The broken stalls and wares were on fire, and several paces ahead, Aladdin was held down by a team of heartless. Hovering above him was Jafar.

"As soon as I'm finished with all of you," he hissed, "I will plunge Agrabah into a deep darkness!"

Sora jumped on Goofy's sheild and then was launched into the air toward Jafar. From above, he fired an ice spell that hit Jafar's cape. The heartless looked up, and didn't see Goofy's shield flying toward them like a frisbee. It hit one of the heartless, freeing Aladdin's arm. He reached for his sword and slashed the other heartless.

Jafar turned his attention to Sora and conjured knives in the air. They flew toward Sora, ready to skewer him into pieces. Goofy jumped up between Sora and the knives, deflecting the attack. Down below, Aladdin got rid of the last heartless and tried to slash Jafar, but the ex-genie disintegrated into smoke, dodging the attack.

Landing on the ground, Sora and Goofy regrouped with Aladdin, searching for Jafar. Seconds turned into minutes, and then the sound of footprints made the three of them turn around, weapons raised, but it was only Donald catching up with the group.

"Without your genie boy," Jafar's voice echoed above them, "you're nothing. You can't hope to stop me. Once I plunge this world into darkness and be like a plague over the others and the first thing I need to do, is get rid of the light protecting this world."

A look of horror crossed Aladdin's face. Sora, Donald and Goofy felt ice pooling in their guts. The only light standing in Jafar's way was Jasmine.

Aladdin screamed into the sky. "Picking on defenseless civilians, Jafar? Despite all your power, you're nothing but a coward."

"Yeah, ya big palooka," Donald added.

"Yer just a big bully," Goofy said.

"Yeah, you ugly snake," Sora bellowed, "come out here and fight!"

There was a chortle.

"Ssssnake? Now there's an idea."

The ground rose up like a typhoon ocean wave, sending everyone down to their knees. Any building that had been standing crumbled, leaving the entire area as bare as the desert surrounding it.

There was nowhere to hide.

The perfect place for a predator to strike.

A thick, muscular tube rose up from under the ground. The sand beneath Sora's hands and knees parted to reveal black and red scales. A mound of sand rose up, burst and then a giant cobra head popped out. It turned to face them, its hood flaring, its lips peeling back to show sword-sized fangs. The red, hatred filled eyes narrowed at them. It was Jafar.

The scales under Sora twitched. Without thinking, he pushed Donald, Goofy and Aladdin off before the snake tail bucked, throwing Sora backward into the sand. He landed face first on the ground, his chest and torso burning from the impact, his mouth grainy with sand. Pulling himself up onto his elbows, he spit, and only had a moment to notice the ground beneath him get darker as a shadow loomed above.

Sora rolled, barely dodging the snake tail as it sank into the ground where he had just been. Quickly, he got back onto his feet and slammed his keyblade down on the snake's back. It was like a flea biting a dog. Rather then rear back in pain, the snake tail swept the area, crashing into Sora and slamming him back into the sand. This time, he landed on his back and stars burst in front of his eyes, his body tingling from head to toe.

With Sora down, Jafar turned his attention to Donald, Goofy and Aladdin, hissing with laughter.

"Come on," came his slithery voice, "won't you stay for a bite?"

He snapped at the Aladdin, Donald and Goofy, making the three of them fan out to avoid his strikes. Donald aimed fire spells at Jafar's face while Goofy ran to Sora. Aladdin slashed at Jafar's mouth whenever he flashed forward to try and bite the street rat, but it only slowed Jafar down.

His attacks wouldn't stop, and he slammed his long, thick body so hard against the sand, it sent everyone flying. From the air, he caught Aladdin in his tail. Sora, barely coming out of his daze, had no time to help Donald and Goofy, who had been caught up in Jafar's attack and had fallen to the ground, completely incapacitated.

Too exhausted to get up, his friends out of commission, Aladdin gritting his teeth from being crushed in Jafar's scales, dread sliced into Sora's heart. Then he felt a light nearby and turned his head to see Jasmine racing toward them. She reached Sora, and a look of horror twisted on her face at the sight of Aladdin.

He was barely awake, his eyes almost closing.

Jafar opened his mouth, ready to swallow Aladdin whole.

Jasmine put her hand on Sora's shoulder, pushing past him without noticing the spark that traveled from her hand to Sora. He felt an energy pass through him that brought him back up to his feet. Before Jasmine could get too far, Sora reached out and grabbed her hand. A powerful force slammed through him and into his keyblade.

Jasmine whirled around, staring at their hands. She reached out with her free hand and put it on Sora's keyblade. The power coursed through Sora and into his keyblade like a fury of a thousand sandstorms. He and Jasmine turned, aimed the keyblade together at Jafar, and had to take a deep breathe to relax the sizzling, fiery energy coursing through them in order to say in the incantation.

"Mega Flare!"

An explosion of light and heat blasted from the keyblade. It passed through Donald, through Goofy, Aladdin, Sora and Jasmine like a gentle breeze. Only Jafar roared as the spell burned through him, making his body vanish as the white light from the explosion momentarily erased everything.

Sora's eyes burned from all the light. The power he just commanded flickered out and died, and he fell into nothingness.

* * *

A light in the darkness, a home to return to, a memory of a friend left behind, he was lost in the switching narratives of dreams. Yet, somehow, he had a feeling that he shouldn't be asleep, that there was so much he had to do in the waking realm, but something wasn't letting him wake up completely.

Then a voice whispered in the dark.

_ Stay asleep._

He didn't want to listen to the voice. He wasn't sure why. The voice was low and only wanted to give him comfort. Yet, it bothered him. He was tired of drifting in and out of consciousness, of thoughts that shouted that something was wrong, only to be forgotten a second later. There was something, someone, important that he just couldn't remember, and the more he felt that he was forgetting, the more his heart screamed in anguish.

The feelings flashed intensely one moment and then numbed out the next, as though something didn't want him to feel that way. Something a lot like...

Darkness.

_Do not awaken. You are not ready._

He was standing on a round platform. It was pitch blade, but he knew that it wasn't supposed to be. Vague memories of a bright and colorful platform beneath his feet appeared in thoughts. This wasn't right.

"I want to wake up," he thought.

_The waking world has no place for you. _

"But I have something important to do."

_ You belong here, in the darkness. _

That was a lie. He only remembered the stupid grin of a boy, and the giggles of a girl he once knew, but he knew that was where he belonged, with his friends, and not here, locked in a prison of nothing.

He fought against the dreams, against forgetting, but the power of sleep crept into his mind each time. Focus, breathe, repeat, he chanted. He didn't want to forget. He couldn't forget.

_Just accept oblivion. _

_ "_No. I won't."

_You have no choice. You are alone. _

And the dreams took him again, but not before he swore to himself that he would wake up one day.

* * *

If they would stop shaking him he could sleep for five more darn minutes.

"Sora. Wake up."

Just a little longer.

"Aw phooey! This is how you do it."

Cold water slammed against his face. Sora sprang up, coughing. One look at the bucket that Donald held his hand explained what had happened.

"Why you!" Sora made a grab for Donald, but the duck was short and sprightly, hiding behind Jasmine's legs.

The princess smiled sweetly. "I'm so glad you're awake."

Goofy fell down to his knees and wrapped up Sora in a bear hug. "Gosh, I so was worried!"

Sora whipped the excess water off his face, leaning away from Goofy. "What happened?"

"You fainted after we cast that spell."

"The spell? Oh! What was that?"

"I don't know." Jasmine said. "But when I saw Aladdin in danger, I-"

She rounded on Aladdin, poking him in the chest. "I told you to be careful! You-"

She didn't say more. She threw herself at Aladdin. He "oofed" when she fell on him, but he didn't complain, wrapping his arms around her.

Sora and Goofy turned their heads, feeling as though they were intruding on a private moment. Only Donald stared with a silly grin on his beak, until Jiminy reminded him to be polite, making Donald turn reluctantly.

After a moment, Aladdin cleared his throat, telling everyone that it was safe to look again.

Sora spoke first. "Where's Jafar?"

Jasmine looked around the area. "Gone. I don't feel any darkness nearby at all, nothing like the power when he was attacking you. Agrabah's safe again."

"But how did we do that? I've never casted a spell that powerful before."

Goofy slammed his fist into his palm. "Isn't it because Jasmine is a princess of heart? Maybe her power and Sora's together is what got rid of Jafar."

"There's a lot we don't know about the light," Donald said.

And a lot they didn't know about the darkness, Sora remembered. Their enemies were getting stronger, he realized. He looked around Agrabah, or what was left of it.

"What about the city? Is it just going to stay like this?"

Aladdin sighed. "Razoul's going to find some way to blame me for this, I just know it."

"I'll deal with him, don't worry," Jasmine said. "We can rebuild Agrabah and who knows, if Genie comes back, we might be able to make it better then before."

Hearing Genie's name reminded Sora about Carpet and about how Dr. Facilier's attack had nearly destroyed the poor rug. Anguish turned in Sora's stomach, making him feel sick. Ever the attentive friends, Donald and Goofy leaned forward to look at his face.

"What's wrong?"

"Dr. Facilier. He thanked us for opening the castle door." Sora crumbled to the ground. "We brought Dr. Facilier here didn't we? He followed us. So, all this," he gestured to Agrabah's sorry state, "is our fault?"

Jasmine and Alice were right. He couldn't go to the realm of darkness to save Riku. Just by using Castle Oblivion's door, they had helped in destroying the home of their friends.

Jasmine poked Sora on the nose. "Did you plan to put this world in danger?"

"No."

"Do you want heartless to get out of the realm of darkness?"

"Of course not."

"Are you willing to face the consequences if they do? If a world get's destroyed, if the people you care about are in danger? These are questions a person with responsibility always has to ask."

Jasmine turned in a circle, pointing to her city. "Since I've lost my father, I've had to think about these things everyday. I've also made mistakes, but as long as one thing in my city is still standing, I will fight for it. Don't blame yourself for what happened today Sora. Dr. Facilier and Jafar did this, but you and Aladdin helped me to protect it."

"I don't know what to do. We're trapped in that castle and the only way forward is through the door that could, or could not, throw us into the realm of darkness."

"If that happens, then I want you to promise me one thing. Lock the door that leads to the realm of darkness with your keyblade. We don't need another person like Ansem, or Maleficent, out there destroying the worlds."

"Even if it means we might lock our friends in there too?"

"I think you should have more faith in Riku," Jasmine said, "you never know, he might just get out of the realm of darkness on his own." Jasmine smirked. "And when the two of you meet again, bring him back here. He owes me an apology for when he kidnapped me for Maleficent."

Sora looked at Donald and Goofy and the two of them smiled reassuringly at him.

"I think she's saying that she trusts us, Sora," Goofy said.

"Yeah, if we go to the realm of darkness, we'll just have to make absolutely sure nothing comes out," Donald added. "Besides, we have to defeat the Shadow Man."

"That's right. He made his third wish to set Jafar free. There's no telling what his second wish did."

Jasmine smiled at the three of them. "I have faith in you three. But don't forget that as keyblade master, you have a duty to keep the worlds safe."

"Of course, Highness." Sora bowed.

Just then something ran up to them. Abu jumped on Aladdin's shoulder. He was holding a thalassa shell in his hands.

Sora took the shell from the monkey. "We never did talk to that merchant."

* * *

_**Jiminy's Journal:**_

Jafar (First Appeared in Aladdin, 1992): The former grand vizier of Agrabah. His lust for power made him conspire with Maleficent to take over Agrabah in the past. His thirst for revenge was not enough to stand up to Sora and Jasmine's combined light.


	8. Chapter 7: Todayland

_Chapter 7: Todayland _

* * *

A cloaked figure laughed silently into the void. A wave of fresh air moved through the realm of darkness. The walls between the worlds were getting weaker. The figure flew over the black platforms. The heartless stirred at his nearness, but he ignored them.

There was a light he was chasing, a light struggling against the darkness that had captured it. He needed to find it, to use it to escape, to set his plan into motion. He felt the bright warmth of it in the distance, and as he got closer, the light's power cut through the gloom of the dark realm.

Then something jumped at him and he was blinded by a white wave of energy. Like a wave, it threw him back.

The cloaked figure paused. Something was keeping him away every time he made a move. He couldn't reach the light, but it didn't matter. Soon, he would be free to go to the outside world.

* * *

The merchant had been very happy with the three star-shaped rubies that Sora, Donald and Goofy had given him. He described the caravan driver that had given him the thalassa shell. To the trio's surprise, the man the merchant had sent them to hadn't been in the palace.

They found him outside, in the destroyed city, helping women and children gather their belongings from the broken homes. He was a tall, handsome man, with silver hair tucked underneath his blue and gold bandana. Daggers rested on his hips, and he wore a series of exotic scarves and belts over his blue pants.

"Excuse us," Goofy began politely, "but are you a caravan driver?"

The young man turned around and bowed. "Locke Cole, and I'm a world class treasure hunter, not a caravan driver."

"Gosh, sorry Mr. Cole."

The young man laughed. "Locke is fine. What can I do for you?"

Sora held up the thalassa shell. "Can you tell us where you found this?"

"Sorry," Locke shrugged, "a treasure hunter never reveals his best hunting spots."

"We don't want to steal your thunder. We just want to know if there was something odd about the place where you found this shell."

Locke crossed his arms. "Odd? Like?"

Sora bit down on his tongue. How was he going to get this guy to tell him about the thalassa shell without revealing the existence of other worlds?

He dug into his pocket and took out Kairi's good luck charm.

"My friend made this. She made me promise to give it back. I haven't seen her in a while and well-"

Locke stared between the charm and the thalassa shell. "She used those shells to make that? You must really be important to her if she gave you something she worked so hard on."

Sora felt a tingly sensation in his heart. "Well, uh, yeah, I guess."

"All right, kid. I'll tell you where I found the shell, but I don't think it'll help you much."

"Why?"

"Well, because you might not believe me."

"Try me."

Locke hustled them away from the women he had been helping. Once they were out of earshot from the other civilians, he began his story.

"I'm not from around here, you see. I go wherever there's treasure, especially treasure that's out of this world, if you catch my drift."

Donald and Goofy shared a look.

Sora, still being cautious, used his words wisely. "You mean, like a different world?"

Locke snapped his fingers. "Bingo. What do you think? Sounds crazy right?"

Sora's keyblade appeared in his hands. "Not at all. We're out of this world too."

Locke quirked an eyebrow at the keyblade but didn't make a comment toward it.

"Lots of things from different worlds got blown around back when the walls separating worlds were gone. I went from place to place finding things that don't belong. Think I found that shell on a beach somewhere a few months back. Been carrying it around in my pocket for a while. Then something happened to the worlds and I ended up stuck here."

Sora felt his chest deflate. He must have been talking about when the heartless attacked the worlds and destroyed Destiny Islands. Once the worlds had been restored, they had been cut off from each other and that must have been why Locke was stuck in Agrabah.

"Wait. How come you didn't go back to your own world?"

"Already found all the treasure there. Didn't feel the need to return."

"That's not what I meant. When we restored the worlds, you should have gone back home, not been stuck here."

"We?" Locke repeated.

There was no use in hiding the truth when Locke already knew about the existence of other worlds. Sora, Donald and Goofy explained about their mission, about how they defeated Ansem, and that they were looking for their lost friends. When they were finished, Locke closed his eyes, as though meditating on their story.

"Sounds like you guys have had it pretty rough. You have no clue where your friends are?"

"All we know is that they might be in a realm of darkness, but we can't just-"

"Sounds like you need another set of eyes." Locke winked.

"What do you mean?"

"Someone should stay behind in that castle you mentioned and keep an eye out. I'm volunteering myself. Besides, what kind of world traversing treasure hunter stays in one place?"

"But-"

"Aw let him come." Donald said.

Goofy and Sora squinted at him.

Goofy scratched his temple. "Are ya sure, Donald?"

"Yeah, I didn't expect to hear that from you."

Donald tapped his foot. "Well, he has a point. We need someone to stand guard while we go from world to world to make sure nothing gets in or out, like Jasmine said."

"Really?" Sora leaned down to glare hard into the duck's eyes. "This wouldn't have something to do with the fact that Locke's a treasure hunter and that you want some of his bounty, now would it?"

Donald looked away. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I understand if you don't trust me," Locke said, "so how about this."

He dug into one of his many pockets and produced a green gem. Donald's eyes widened. He stared at it with a star stuck expression. Locke held the gem high, out of Donald's reach. In the sun, the gem gleamed, revealing an inner red fire within.

"What's that?"

"Magicite. A rare, powerful treasure from my world," Locke explained. "It's very important to me. I'll offer it up to you as collateral. As long you have that, I won't do anything out of the ordinary, I promise. Do we have a deal?"

Sora looked at the gem in Locke's hand. "Before that, I want to know what you want. You can't just come along with us for only treasure."

Locke shrugged. "Well, for one, I don't like staying in one place too long. Plus, I want to help you guys."

Donald jumped up and down. "Come on, Sora, just take it."

"I don't think Locke's a bad guy," said Goofy. "After all, he was helping all those civilians earlier."

Jiminy whispered in Sora's ear. "It's your decision. I'll support you either way."

Sora thought about Jasmine's warning, and about how Dr. Facilier had entered Agrabah without any of them seeing. He took the magicite from Locke's hand.

* * *

Kairi stopped mid step.

Oswald turned around to look at her. "Something wrong?"

"That light we're chasing. It's closer then ever now."

Kairi closed her eyes. Somewhere nearby, there was a warm, honey feeling that made her feel giddy. Yet, it was behind something cold and angry and the whiplash of feeling two powerful but opposite things at once made Kairi's joints feel tingly and weak.

Excitement was shinning in Oswald's wide eyes.

"Then what are we waiting for. Let's go get it. Which way is it?"

Kairi turned in a circle. She felt the warm and cold sensations on her feet and walked toward the edge of the platform they were standing on. Pluto sniffed the floor as he walked behind her. When he looked down over the cliff, he barked and pointed with his nose.

"You can feel it down there too, boy?"

Oswald came to stand next to them. Down below, the darkness flowed like a black river.

"We should be very careful," Kairi said, "I can feel a powerful darkness down there too."

Oswald held out his hand. "Are you ready?"

Pluto jumped into Kairi's arms. With one hand holding the dog and the other grasping Oswald's, Kairi nodded.

"I'm ready."

"Okay. Here we go!"

With his powerful, rabbit legs, Oswald jumped, pulling Kairi and Pluto up into the air with him. As they descended down into the darkness below, magic pooled at the end of Oswald's wand. Kairi focused on the light down below, and on gathering magical power within herself, in case they ran into any heartless. Just as they descended down into the abyss, she felt another light.

It was only for a second, but the light was familiar, reminding her of her days chasing two boys on the beach. Then it was gone, leaving Kairi with a lonely feeling. She looked up at the platform they had just fallen from.

"Riku?"

* * *

Locke walked around the hall of Castle Oblivion, knocking on the walls and pressing his ear to the ground. Sora, Donald and Goofy watched him from the top stair in front of the diminutional door. Locke tapped on the decorative pillars with his daggers. Then he raised his hand in the air, and chanted. "Thunder!"

Lightning rained down from the sky, charring the ground Locke was standing on. He stood with his hand on his chin, deep in thought. Then he turned to Sora, Donald and Goofy.

"There's a draft. I'm willing to bet that there's a secret door here somewhere."

Sora went to the wall that had changed the last time they were there. It was paper thin. He could almost see a dark horizon beyond it. He pulled out his keyblade and smacked the wall. The wall shivered as though it were made from jelly, yet it didn't break.

"I think this wall is getting weaker. I thought it looked weird the last time we were here." Sora turned to look at the door on the other side of the room. "Maybe it changes every time we travel through there."

"Looks like I'm going to keep an eye on this wall while you guys head out into another world. Bring me something shiny, will ya?"

Locke sat down next to the wall and busied himself with sharpening his daggers.

"Let us know if anything interesting happens when we get back," Sora said.

At the door, he turned around to look at Locke one more time. Then he walked though the doorway with Donald and Goofy.

They stepped out onto the greenest lawn Sora had ever seen in his life. The sky was a perfect blue and in the distance, beyond a crystal clear lake, a city stood tall. Without hesitation, Sora, Donald and Goofy rushed toward the town. The closer they got, the more marvelous the city became.

People in giant soap bubbles flew around perfectly rounded towers. Skyscappers rose up in seconds, like inflatable balloons, from strange contraptions labeled, "instabuildings." The sidewalks and bridges between each building were covered by perfectly green grass. There were rails and rails of trams taking businessmen, children and families all around the sky scrappers. Not a single drop of smog, grime, or pollution existed in the city.

Unable to resist, Sora, Donald and Goofy raced to the top of the nearest building. On the roof of the building was a bubble machine. They stood excitedly in line, waiting to stand under the giant bubble wand. As soon as Sora's turn came, he practically raced to the circular platform. A bubble ring came down over his head, and a moment later, he was floating in a clear sphere. Behind him, Donald and Goofy floated in their own bubbles, marveling at the views of the city below.

Sora looked down at all the trams moving to and fro below him and the tops of the buildings with their perfect rooftop gardens. He floated to another building and a giant gloved hand poked his bubble. It popped. Before Sora could scream, he was looping down a tube-slide so fast, he couldn't resist throwing up his hands like he were on a roller coaster. The slide ended at the bottom of the building, and Sora slid out onto soft, smooth grass.

He leaned back in the grass and laughed, catching his breath, just as an excited Donald and Goofy landed out of the tube slide right behind him. Sora helped his friends up and couldn't resist jumping up and down with them in childish glee.

"This place is amazing," Sora said between pants, "what a city!"

In the next second, Sora instantly regretted his words. As if appearing just to ruin their good mood, black bowler hats popped out of the air. Tentacles came out of the bottoms of the hats. They floated in the air, twitching like poisonous jellyfish, heartless emblems shining on the top of each hat.

Donald groaned. "Why does this always happen?"

He raised his staff and send a blizzard spell careening out at the nearest heartless. Sora and Goofy charged into battle right behind Donald. Sora slashed through several heartless at once, smashing them to bits with his keyblade without ever noticing one of the heartless sneak up behind him.

The heartless' metal tentacles reached out and plucked Sora right off the ground, raising him up into the air. Struggling to get free, Sora spotted another heartless zooming toward him, its metal tentacles sharpening into a spear, ready to run him through.

Sora threw his kepblade with all the force he could muster and it sliced through the incoming heartless, but he was helpless to stop the others that were still flying toward him. Down below, Donald jumped up on Goody's shield and was thrown up into the air. He rose up right in front of Sora, raised his staff and bellowed.

"Thundaga!"

The heartless exploded as the lightning zinged through them. Donald and Sora fell, landing on their feet just as Goofy crushed the last heartless.

They never even got the chance to question why there were heartless in such a perfect city, because, just then, a boy ran up to them.

"Suspicious newcomers. You're coming with me!"

He reached out and grabbed Sora's arm, dragging him.

Sora pulled his arm away from the strange boy. "What's your deal? You can't just grab someone like that."

"Young man-"

"Young? You're like the same age as me."

"I am a member of the police force in this city and I order you," he pointed between Sora's eyes, "to come with me and explain the appearance of those strange creatures."

"You mean the heartless?"

"Aha! So you do know what those creatures are. You've just admitted guilt, my friend."

"What?"

By this time, Donald and Goofy had stepped between Sora and the boy.

Donald stomped his foot. "Hey, you brat, didn't anyone teach ya it's not polite to just grab people like that?"

"Now, now," Goofy began. "Why don't we all just calm down?" He turned toward the boy. "Excuse me, mister-"

The boy smoothed back his glossy, black hair. "Robinson, Wilbur Robinson."

"Mr. Robinson. Can you tell us why you're so upset?"

Wilber Robinson looked at the back of his nails. "I'm a time traveling spy from the future and this is my city. It's my job to make sure nothing goes wrong here."

"Has something gone wrong here?"

"Yes. Those strange creatures have been appearing and causing all kinds of trouble."

"Then maybe we can help you. We're sorta good at handling the heartless. Why don't you calmly explain to us what's going on."

Wilbur Robinson squinted shrewdly at Goofy and then gave Sora and Donald a once over. The duck and the keyblade master glared back at him. Finally, Wilbur sighed and brushed off imaginary dust from his shoulder.

"Fine. Let's go to my place. I'll explain things there. "

Sora had expected that a "time traveling spy from the future" would take them to some super, secret, underground facility, not to a big, fancy house on a beautiful, green hill. A giant, golden letter "R" hung above the front door.

Wildbur went up the steps toward the door. On the left and right sides of the entrance were two potted trees. When Sora, Donald, and Goofy went up the steps to the porch, someone's head popped out one of the giant pots.

Donald screamed, jumping into Goofy's arms. Sora's keyblade appeared in his hand and he pointed it toward the head. A man with a pointy nose and sunglasses smiled.

"Hey," he nodded toward the door, "ring my doorbell."

There was a voice from behind them. Turning, there was an identical head coming out of the other pot.

"No, ring my doorbell. It's cooler!"

"Uncle Spike, Uncle Dimitri," Wilbur huffed, "we don't have time for this. We're on a very important mission."

Uncles Spike and Dimitri blew raspberries at him.

If Sora thought two heads coming out a flower pot was the strangest thing he would see that day, he was so wrong. A second after Wilbur had knocked on the door, a giant, one-eyed, purple squid opened it.

This time, Goofy screamed, hiding behind Donald.

The squid took one look at Wilbur and moved out of the way. Wilbur moved to enter the house but stopped when he noticed that no one was following.

"Well, what are you waiting for?"

Sora, his keyblade still in his hand, pointed at the door. "That giant squid doesn't bother you."

"Squid? How dare you. That's my trusted butler, Lefty. Now come on!"

Sora couldn't help ducking awkwardly as he entered the house behind Wilbur. The "butler" stared at them with its giant eye as they entered. Once inside, Lefty closed the door and slithered away.

The interior of the house was just as bright and sunny as the city had been to and Sora would have thought it were a perfectly normal home, if it weren't for the fact that the room suddenly rumbled and a giant train moved across the foyer. A woman sat on top, screaming, "yee-haw!"

"What was that," Donald asked.

"That was Aunt Billy and her toy train."

"That was a _toy_ train?"

"Sure was," said someone new.

Sora, Donald and Goofy jumped. A old man, who was wearing all of his clothes completely backwards, had appeared behind them.

"Grandpa," Wilbur said, "have you seen Dad anywhere?"

"Don't think so," said Grandpa, "but I think Grandma Lucile might have seen him last."

"Where is she?"

"Baking cookies."

It turned out that "baking cookies" really meant that Grandma Lucile was having a dance party for one. They found her dancing under a disco ball in a large, empty room. Sora, Donald and Goofy couldn't resist not dancing as they walked under the disco lights.

Grandma Lucile didn't stop grooving even when Wilbur asked her where to to find his father.

"Ask, Uncle Art."

Uncle Art was a pizza delivery guy and by the time Wilbur and the others had caught up to him in the topiary garden, he was already flying away on a delivery in his flying saucer. Luckily, Uncle Fritz and his wife, who was actually a wooden puppet on Uncle Fritz's hand, told them to talk to Wilber's mom, Franny.

Wilbur lead the way to a room that, even with the door closed, was loud with jazz music. When they entered, Donald and Goofy clapped excitedly at the sight of a whole ensemble of frogs singing, dancing, playing the guitar, piano, drums, trumpets, all while being conducted by a tall, pretty lady that shared Wilbur's glossy, black hair and brown eyes.

Wilbur didn't even bother to talk to his mother. He sat back and listened to the music. Sora, Donald and Goofy danced along, until the number ended. Then they gave the frogs and their conductor a standing ovation.

When the frogs and the conductor bowed, Sora thought about Naveen and Tiana and how Franny would have loved to meet them.

"Thank you! Thank you," Franny said.

Standing, she noticed, Sora, Donald and Goofy. "Oh. Wilbur, looks like you've made some new friends."

"Mom, have you seen Dad?"

"Said he was going to go give Uncle Joe a new waistband."

Sora, Donald and Goofy groaned but followed Wilbur to the next family member.

Uncle Joe was busy eating PB&J in front of a TV and he sent them to Uncle Gaston, who fired them out of a canon to see Uncle Fritz's son and daughter, Talula and Lazo, who then (finally!) told them that Wilbur's dad was in the garage, which led everyone back to the foyer where they had started.

"A-yuck, what a nice family."

"That was so much fun," Donald chuckled.

"Yeah," Sora said to Wilbur, "your family is really something."

"Thanks."

"Okay, so we're back here," Donald said. "Now what?"

"We need to get to the garage," said Wilbur.

Then he pulled a string that hung down from the ceiling and the ground split open beneath Sora, Donald and Goofy. Screaming, Sora looped and bounced in a long, glass tube before he landed on his feet in the cavernous garage.

Donald and Goofy crashed onto the floor behind him. The next second, Wilbur landed easily on his feet.

Sora stomped up to the Wilbur. "Couldn't you have warned us?"

Wilbur put a hand up in front of Sora's face. "No time for that." He cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted. "CARL!"

"Kid I'm right here, you don't have to shout."

A golden robot with long, spaghetti arms and legs walked out into the light from the shadowy corners of the garage. The robot snapped his fingers and the garage lit up. The entire room was full of all kinds of contraptions and tools and in the middle of it all were what looked like two rocket ships, one blue, and one red.

Donald and Goofy got close to the red rocket ship, excitedly bouncing up and down.

"Sora! It's like the gummi ship," they said.

Wilbur popped up between Donald, Goofy and the "gummi ship."

"Hey, hey, hey! Hands off the time machine!"

Sora felt an irresistible urge to go to the other rocket-ship and climb onto one of its wings.

"A time machine? No way! That's so cool!"

"Hey! Get down from there! Carl!"

The robot's arms stretched out and looped around Sora's waist like a rope, taking him off the time machine and putting him back down on the ground.

"Listen kid, the last time we had a spiky haired boy try and take the time machine out for a spin, we almost put the fate of the entire timeline in jeopardy. Be careful, will ya?"

Sora couldn't bring himself to feel too guilty when a literal robot (which was really cool) was the one scolding him, but he apologized anyway.

"So, what's with the red, blue and green trio?" Carl asked Wilber.

"That is an excellent question," Wilbur said. "But first, where is Dad?"

"Just a sec."

Car's arm stretched and stretched all the way to a corner of the room, where a pair of legs were sticking out from under a massive, black cube. Carl's arm looped around the legs and the next second, a blond man was pulled through the air toward them.

Dangling upside down, his lab coat hanging form his shoulders, Wilber's dad waved.

"Hello."

Sora, Donald and Goofy waved back awkwardly.

Carl flipped Wilber's dad right side up and put him back on his feet.

"Hey, Cornelius. Wilbur's got something to say to you."

Cornelius adjusted the glasses on his nose. "Wilbur, can't you introduce me to your friends first?"

"Oh right, this is," Wilbur stopped. "Uh, I don't actually know their names."

After some introductions, Wilbur finally got the chance to speak to Cornelius.

"Those strange creatures that we've been seeing lately, these three took them down without a sweat."

"Really? How?"

"I guess you can call us exterminators," Sora said.

"That's really good news," said Cornelius. "I've been running around for days, trying to come up with an invention that can get rid of those things and-"

One second, Cornelius Robinson was in front of them, the next he was gone. Sora, Donald, Goofy, Wilbur and Carl stared at the empty space where he had just been. Sora rubbed his eyes and when he opened them, he realized that he hadn't been seeing things.

Cornelius really was gone.

"Dad?" Wilber called.

There was no response.

"Carl, did you see?"

But Carl was gone too and the next second the garage looked as though it were glitching. The surrounding walls and ceiling faded in and out of focus.

Sora summoned his keyblade, but there was no enemy to fight. "What's going on? Where did your Dad go?"

Wilbur ran to the red rocket ship and opened the door, jumping inside. "Come on," he shouted.

Sora, Donald and Goofy jumped into the time machine and sat in the seats behind Wilbur. They buckled up while Wilbur was frantically pressing buttons. The rocket ship roared to life and then they were floating off the garage floor.

Outside, the glitching became worse as everything turned red hot, melting. The ground split open, the walls crackled, and then all the inventions and contraptions around the room began to explode one by one.

"Hold on tight!"

Wilbur punched a red button and a second later, Sora was pressed into his seat as the ship flew through a long tube of colorful light. When the ship stopped, they were no longer in the beautiful, clean, gleaming city they had seen. The buildings were made of brick and steel. Rain poured down from the sky, pitter-pattering on the glass doom of the rocket ship, or time machine.

The city below was grimy and the air had a polluted grey glow to it.

Goofy pressed his nose to the glass next to his seat, looking down. "Where are we? What just happened?"

"We jumped back to the past," Wilbur explained. "I think something happened to my Dad when he was a kid."

"How do you know that," Sora asked.

"Because Carl was invented by my dad. If Carl disappeared then that means that Dad never invented him. If we don't find my Dad and fix the problem, the entire future will disappear. And so will I."

* * *

Kairi, Oswald and Pluto floated down and down and down. The chasm below felt as though it had no end, and the heartless watched them from dark cliffs as they descended deeper and deeper. Yet, they did not attack. Strange.

The lower they went, the more the happiness of the light warmed Kairi while the anger of the darkness gnawed at her. Whatever was down there was both dangerous and rewarding.

Were they even floating downward, Kairi began to wonder. The platforms they passed looked as though they were flipped upside down. Had they gone so far that they had immersed on the other side of the realm of darkness, like a kid who believed that digging through a planet would lead to them standing upside down on the other side.

When her feet finally touched the ground, Pluto wriggled out of Kairi's hold. He ran around sniffing with his rear in the air, his tail sticking straight up and alert. Kairi stretched her arm, which had stiffened from holding Pluto for so long.

Oswald noticed and helped her aching muscles with a cure spell. Thanking him, Kairi searched for the source of the strong light and incredible darkness she felt. Then she saw it.

Down the road they stood on, was a massive arch that stretched up several meters from the ground like a giant open mouth, ready to swallow them if they passed below it. The arch was decorated by black, stone barbs, like shark teeth, that jutted out in every direction, cutting into the nearby platforms that were unfortunate enough to float too close.

Beyond the arch was another terror. A black sphere with purple, blue, and neon red energy was floating there. Kairi could see lighting flashing within the sphere. Rubble floated around the sphere like the outer ring of a planet. Whatever was inside that darkness, Kairi new there would be no turning back once they entered it.

"You nervous?" Oswald said.

"Kind of. But I came here to find that light and I'm going in."

Oswald grinned at her and then held out his hand. "You ready?"

Grasping it, Kairi winked at him, summoning up her magical energy, getting ready for a fight she knew was coming.

"Ready as I'll ever be."

* * *

_**Jiminy's Journal**_

Locke Cole (First appeared in Final Fantasy VI, 1994): Self proclaimed treasure hunter who seems to have a soft spot for women. He's friendly and loves to joke around. Locke has agreed to keep an eye out in Castle Oblivion while Sora and company visit the other worlds.

Wilbur Robinson (First Appeared in Meet The Robinsons, 2007): The son of Frannie and Cornelius Robinson. An overconfident boy from the future, the world Wilbur lives in is a direct result of all his father's inventions. Wilbur's a bit impatient, but seems to have the future's best interest at heart. His life is on the line if Sora, Donald and Goofy don't help him figure out what went wrong in the past.

Carl (First Appeared in Meet The Robinsons, 2007): A golden robot made by Wilbur's dad. He has arms that can stretch for long distances and is always trying to keep Wilbur out of trouble.

The Robinson Family (First Appeared in Meet The Robinsons, 2007): Okay, Bud, Fritz and Joe are Brothers. Fritz is married to Petunia (who is a cranky puppet). Talula and Lazlo are their children. Joe is married to Aunt Billy. Lefty (the squid) is the butler. Spike and Dimitri are twins (and the Robinsons don't know who they're related to). Lucille is married to Bud and Wilbur's Dad, Cornelius, is their son. Cornelius is married to Frannie and her brothers are Gaston and Art.


	9. Chapter 8: The Invisible

_**Chapter 8: The Invisible**_

* * *

Sora, Donald and Goofy had to resist running up to poke all the contraptions and innovations in the domed convention hall. People in lab coats scurried around, carrying papers and veiled objects, moving giant machines with forklifts, reconnecting wires to electronic circuits, and tightening the bolts on their inventions.

Among all the scientists were people in business suits. They walked around from stand to stand, taking furious notes on each of the inventions on display. None of the suits paid any attention to all the field trip children that had come to the science fair. The inventors, on the other hand, were more then happy to answer any the children's questions.

Wilbur had been leading the way through the exhibition hall. Suddenly he set off at a run toward a stand where several suits were listening to a young boy. His invention looked much more make-shift than anything else in the exhibition hall.

"This," the boy was saying excitedly, "is what I call the 'bully radar.'"

The boy pointed to what looked like a pair of walkie-talkies. A lightbulb was taped to the walkie-talkie's antennae.

"This will greatly lower the rate at which bullying occurs in schools by allowing teachers to put a stop to the behavior as or before it even occurs. Whenever there is a bully or a student that is experiencing extreme negative emotion, the lightbulb on the radar starts to blink and the beeping will get louder the closer the teacher moves toward the target. I'm still working on increasing the radius of effect so that teachers and faculty members can get feedback from anywhere on campus, but..."

The boy trailed off, leaning to the side in order to look just beyond the suits. He noticed Wilbur waving his arms.

"Uh, sorry. Would you excuse me for a second?"

Wilbur pointed to a nearby machine that was big enough for all of them to duck behind. Sora, donald and Goofy waited behind Wilbur for the boy to arrive. When the boy came around the machine, he grabbed Wilbur's ear.

"Don't tell me you left the garage door open again."

Wilbur winced. "I didn't! I swear! I came here to protect you!"

"From what? Did another one of my inventions come back to try and ruin my future?"

"Excuse me," Goofy began, "but are you Wilbur's father?"

The boy finally let go of Wilbur's ear, and nodded. Sora was amazed he hadn't noticed the resemblance before. Young Cornelius Robinson had the same spiky, yellow hair and the same glasses. Although he wasn't wearing a lab coat like his older counterpart, Cornelius did wear the same blue vest over a white collar shirt and the same red shorts.

"Call me Lewis. The name Cornelius hasn't grown on me yet." He extended his hand. "Nice to meet you."

Goofy shook hands with Lewis. After Sora and Donald introduced themselves, Wilbur explained why they were there and what had happened in the future. The more he told his story, the more worried Lewis' eyes widened.

"Wait," Lewis said, "If something happens to me in the past, then how are you still here? Logically, you shouldn't exist."

Wilbur raised his hand into the air and took a deep breathe as though he were about to launch into an explanation tirade, but then he stopped. "That, uh, is an excellent question. How am I still here?"

"Maybe it has something to do with your heart?" Sora offered.

"My heart?"

"A strong heart can push you through the hardest times. Believe me."

Lonely memories of moving through Hollow Bastion after being left behind by Donald and Goofy, of offering his own heart to the darkness in order to free Kairi's, filled Sora's mind. He never would have been able to summon the strength to fight Riku if his heart hadn't grown so much from the adventures he'd had and the friends he'd made.

"We don't have time to talk about hearts." Wilbur faced Lewis. "Has anything strange happened to you? Like, were you followed?" Wilbur waved his arms in the air. "Did you get attacked by these weird, black alien looking monsters with glowing yellow eyes?"

Lewis gave Wilbur a "really" look.

"Alien monsters?"

"They're called heartless," Sora explained. "Weird stuff happens when they're around. Have you noticed anything?"

"The weirdest thing I've seen all day is when Mom started screaming in the middle of a backflip."

Wilbur slapped his palm on his forehead. "Is she on the caffeine patches again?"

"Caffeine patches?" Sora, Donald and Goofy repeated.

The explanation never came. Something made a high pitched, beeping sound. At first it was low, and then the rhythm became faster. The beeping shrieked through the entire room, bouncing off the walls. Everyone in the exhibition hall yelped and covered their ears. Lewis' face twisted in pain.

"That's my bully detector," he yelled over the noise.

The ground shook.

Sora, Donald, Goofy, Wilbur and Lewis peeked around the machine they had been hiding behind. Across the room, Lewis' radar was bouncing on the table at it screeched. A man in a suit rushed toward it, to try and turn it off, but he bounced off the air and crashed into a nearby table.

Goofy ran out to try and help the civilians, but the moment he had finished helping the injured man, he was flung across the room himself. He slammed onto the miniature town model, that had been the centerpiece of the exhibition hall, and lay there, a giant among tiny buildings, with stars flying around his head.

The man Goofy had just helped and the people in the exhibition pushed and shoved, running out of the room while an unseen hurricane knocked over machinery, tables, coffee stands, forklifts and whatever else that wasn't tied down.

Sora grabbed Wilbur's shoulder.

"Get Lewis out of here!"

"Be careful," Wilbur said, before running out after the civilians with Lewis right behind him.

Donald raced across the room to help Goofy, and Sora, keyblade in hand, chased after him, keeping his eyes and ears open for a sudden, invisible attack. Something crashed to his right, and Sora sent a blizzard spell careening out in the direction of the noise. The icy particles of his attack hit the wall opposite the room.

He watched the floor, trying to see if he could catch movement in the dust, but the stupid exhibition hall just had to be swept spotless. Behind him, Goofy groaned as regained consciousness. The stars that had been swirling around his head vanished.

Donald helped him off the model and just in time too. In the next second, something, like a giant's foot, squashed the model flat. Donald aimed a spell at the invisible threat, but his attack didn't hit anything that was alive.

The three friends huddled, back to back, watching, waiting for an attack, but the room was empty except for the mess of broken inventions and spilled coffee.

"How do we fight something we can't see," Goofy said.

"Sora, up there."

Looking up, Sora spotted the sprinkler system high on the doomed ceiling. He raised his keyblade with Donald and shouted, "Firaga!"

The fireballs crashed against the sprinklers high above and then the entire room was awash in an artificial rainstorm. Then they saw it. The water from the sprinklers produced an outline of something in the middle of the room. Right in front of them, hunched over like a predator ready to strike, was a creature as big as a school bus. Sora couldn't see any details, but the creature had a long, thick tail that stick out far behind its body. Its back legs and feet were wide and heavy looking, while its head was long and round.

Massive footprints stomped toward them. Sora, Donald and Goofy raised their weapons. Donald threw an ice spell at it, Sora threw his keyblade, and Goofy threw his shield, but it was like throwing pebbles at an incoming boulder. The creature didn't stop charging, and the three friends barely had enough time to jump out of the way before they were trampled.

Sora and Goofy summoned their weapons back to their hands and regained their feet, ready for another round, but the room was empty. They looked down toward the floor, looking for any displaced water, but there was nothing. The only indication that the creature had been there, was the mess left behind from its attack.

Sora looked at the exits around the hall. They weren't distorted or pulled off. If something that big had gone through any of them, there was no way they would have remained in such perfect condition.

Then they realized how silent it was. With the adrenaline of the battle pumping through them, Sora hadn't noticed the beeping from Lewis' bully radar. It had finally stopped. Searching, he found two walkie-talkies on the floor and picked them up. The light bulb was off, but the two radars were completely untouched. They wasn't even wet from the sprinklers.

Sora held the bully radars close to his chest as he ran out of the building. Outside, the sun shined down on their wet clothes. Police officers and ambulance members were helping terrified and confused inventors, children, teachers, and business people alike. Sora, Donald and Goofy ducked away from the uniformed men and women and retraced their steps to where Wilbur had hidden the time machine.

When they reached the alley, Wilbur and Lewis were there waiting for them.

Lewis ran up to them first. "You guys are okay! That's good news."

"What happened," Wilbur asked.

"We don't really know," Donald said. "Was that a heartless? We didn't see a heartless emblem."

"We didn't _see_ anything. It was completely invisible."

"Gosh, could that be the thing that is after Lewis?"

Sora gave Lewis his bully detectors.

"Thanks," Lewis sighed. "Another failure huh. Need to work out more of the kinks in these things. Maybe the voltage was too high? Or I haven't calibrated the sensors to correctly predict angry responses. You think that must be it?"

Sora, Donald and Goofy nodded quickly at Lewis' words, not understanding a thing but too afraid to be look like complete buffoons.

Wilbur winked at them. "Don't worry, I don't understand my dad's mumbo jumbo in the future either."

"It's not mumbo jumbo." Lewis huffed. "It's science! And I seem to recall that my mumbo jumbo created the future you live in." He looked down at the walkie talkies in his hands. "Still, I can't understand why they would suddenly beep like that. I didn't tweak the speakers in these walkie talkies to make that much noise."

Sora thought back to the attack, and how one of the businessmen had been pushed back when he had tried to grab Lewis' invention.

"Hold on, maybe your bully detectors went off because that monster was nearby."

"What do you mean?"

"It makes total sense! Heartless are made of darkness and your bully detectors can sense negative emotions. That must be why it went off, because it sensed the dark emotions from the heartless."

"But, Sora," Donald said, "didn't the reports we read say that heartless don't have emotions?"

Goofy put a finger on his chin. "Maybe Lewis' bully catchers-"

"Bully detectors," Donald corrected.

"-can sense darkness nearby."

A slow smile spread on Lewis face. He elbowed Wilbur's shoulder and then exclaimed, "This looks like the job for experimentation!"

"Experi-what now?"

"We won't know if my bully detectors sense darkness or not without testing it out. Besides, if there's an invisible monster after me, it might come back. What better way to be prepared?"

Goofy nodded proudly. "Ya know, I think he's right."

Wilbur sighed. "I just knew this was going to result in more work for us. Okay, Dad, what's the plan?"

* * *

They walked through caverns that looked like the inside of a melted, crimson candle. The tunnels and pits on the floor opened and closed like toothless mouths caught in between screams and silence. The material of the walls glowed molten hot, but were rock solid to the touch.

Every footstep click-clacked on the floor and the sound echoed through the shifting passage ways, but instead of fading out into silence, the sounds increased in volume, making a stomach-turning, creaking sound like the groaning of metal against metal.

Kairi, Oswald and Pluto walked over the shifting ripples on the floor, each of them holding their breath. Pluto's teeth stuck out from under his lips. He walked with his head low and his tail between his legs. Kairi stuck close to Oswald, concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other without losing her balance.

The darkness was thick there. She could see the black dust swirling in the air, could feel it scrapping against her skin and roaring in her ears. Her head had throbbed from the moment they had entered and the pounding was only getting worse the deeper they went.

Every so often, she would feel a tickle of light, and she would direct Oswald toward it, but with the way their surroundings changed, Kairi feared that walking onward would only trap them in the darkness, unable to escape. Even if she wanted to turn back, she knew she couldn't. Every tunnel they moved through closed behind them, making their only choice forward.

Kairi rubbed her temples and for a brief, wonderful moment, she felt a minty breeze wash over her face as Oswald casted yet another healing spell to help her deal with the darkness. Thanking him, Kairi used the momentary clear headedness to pinpoint the light they were chasing.

She pointed to a tunnel, and they squeezed through it before it melted into the floor. They quickly stopped moving before they slipped and fell into the perfect Kairi, Oswald and Pluto shaped hole that was right on the other side. Hugging the wall, Kairi shimmied to the other side of the hole and when they were finally back on flat ground, Oswald's ears stuck straight up.

"Did you hear something?"

"No."

His ears swiveled left and Oswald faced a tunnel that had just appeared right behind him.

"It's in there."

"Is it a heartless?"

Oswald leaned his head into the hole. There was a bark. Oswald screamed, jumping up in the air, his wand raised toward the tunnel, his eyes wide. Kairi sent a water spell rushing through the tunnel and then turned around to glare at Pluto.

The dog was barking into the pit they had just walked around and the echos of his barks were like thunderous crashes down below. Oswald walked over to the dog and poked him on the nose.

"You almost scared my fur off!"

Pluto growled and then pointed into the hole with his nose. Kairi went to stand next to him, and then she felt it. The light was down below and the hole was shrinking. Quickly, before it could close, she leapt in with Oswald and Pluto, and felt the tunnel getting thinner and thinner as they descended.

They squeezed through the icy tube and fell onto a wet floor. Even the water in the waxy dungeon had a oozy, red color to it.

"I hear it again!" Oswald turned toward a tunnel. "I know that voice. It can't be!"

"What voice? I can't hear anything."

But Oswald wasn't listening, he dashed into the tunnel. Kairi and Pluto rushed to chase after him, but after going through the tunnel, Kairi lost sight of Oswald in the confusing mess of opening and closing tubes. Pluto was gone as well.

The pounding in her head had returned. Kairi sat down, helplessly watching the cave around her stretch and melt as her head felt as though a nail were being hammered into it. Then there was a whisper of a voice against her ear.

"Kairi?"

She stood, looking around the tubes for that sound.

"Kairi?"

The tube to her left was closing, but that was where the voice had come from.

Kairi jumped in and slid all the way down into another cavern. Her shorts and socks filled with water that somehow wasn't cold or wet, but felt like metal sand that nicked her skin. When she stood, she found out that she wasn't alone in that room.

A boy stood across from her. Though she couldn't see his face, she knew that silver hair, recognized the bulky shape of his shoulders. The boy turned around, and his light, blue eyes were like an icicle through Kairi's heart. There was no light in him.

"No way," Kairi moved across the room. "Riku? Is that you? What happened?"

The boy didn't respond. His face was angled toward the floor. On his black, sinewy chest, there was a heart shape. It was much like the emblem of the heartless, except it did not have the black thorns that made an X across the heart.

"Riku? Can you hear me?"

Kairi reached out to touch him, to make sure he was real, but then she felt her guts twist with freezing agony. She jumped back, summoning the mental image of water.

"You're not Riku."

The boy in front of her melted and out of the black puddle he left behind, a muscular arm reached out. The body of the heartless followed. First the dark, blue horns that crowned the heartless' head poked out of the floor. Then its lipless face appeared. It ground its teeth at her, raising its other arm. A sword was in its other hand.

The heartless flew up from the ground, stretching its muscles in the air. Its long, thin tail stretched behind its thick thighs. Then it turned and pointed its sword at Kairi.

The heartless flew across the cavern.

Kairi ducked into the nearest tunnel just as the sword pierced into the wall where her head had been only a second before. The tunnel shrank and Kairi bent forward, and then ducked, and then crawled. The opening was just a few feet away and Kairi threw herself out just as the tunnel completely closed behind her.

Gasping, Kairi had to press her hands to her temples. The darkness was getting worse and her fear was growing with it.

"Oswald? Pluto? Anybody?"

The only response was from the darkness. A ring of black fire swirled around Kairi's feet. The ring began to shrink, getting closer and closer to her legs. Kairi leapt out of the circle of shadows. She watched as the shadows reattached to each other, and the heartless with the sword had returned.

"Water!"

Kairi's spell hit the heartless right between the eyes, throwing it back against the wall. The darkness was thick, and the heartless was quick to recover as soon as the water faded from its body. The heartless flashed forward and then was jerked back. Its tail was caught in one of the tunnels. As the heartless moved its tail to get free, Kairi ducked into another tunnel.

"Oswald! Pluto!"

There was no answer, and soon the heartless was back, but this time it wasn't alone. More of its kind had joined it and Kairi's head was ready to split in two. The darkness beat down on her shoulders, making her crumble to her knees. She gathered magic from deep within and pointed at the army of heartless that were filling the shrinking space of the cavern.

"Water!"

The entire chamber flooded, and Kairi fell through yet another tunnel as she was washed away by her own spell. She landed in another part of the cave, and collapsed against the wall. The anger of the darkness screamed in her head, and her heart was being crushed under its power. The heartless found her again, and Kairi was out of magic.

The army of heartless were coming closer and Kairi bit her lower lip to keep herself from screaming, from sobbing, from letting everyone know that she had let them down. She hadn't given the king's letter to Sora, she hadn't found Riku, she hadn't done anything but wonder the darkness and she was all alone and no one was going to save her.

And yet, somewhere nearby, there was a tiny, butterfly of light. It touched her forehead gently like a mother's kiss during a fever.

Kairi wobbled to her feet.

"Fine," she panted, "if it's light you want, it's light you'll get. I came here to find a way to my friends and you're not going to stop me!"

The darkness punched her head from the inside, but Kairi focused on the tiny sliver of light in her thoughts.

"I'm a princess of light! I may be alone, but my heart is not! As long as the light exists here, I will fight! Come on!"

She raised her hands up in the air and summoned every last bit of strength she had. Water pooled around her ankles and Kairi sent it crashing into the heartless directly ahead. It pushed back the heartless to the other side of the room and Kairi collapsed back onto her knees, unable to defend herself as one of the shadows got free and dashed at her.

Pluto jumped down from a hole in the ceiling and bit down on the heartless' head, throwing it aside. Oswald's cure spell sprinkled over Kairi and her head cleared for a moment. Oswald landed next to her and held her hand. Together, they faced the heartless.

"There's a light right behind them."

"Then we had better make this quick."

"I don't have much energy left."

"Yes you do. You have all the light you need. And mine too."

Kairi squeezed his hand. "Thanks!"

Oswald threw fire spells at the heartless as Kairi closed her eyes.

She imagined the ocean, the sky, the stars, the heart-pounding feeling of Sora holding her close after she cured him of the darkness, Riku's laughter whenever he caught the two of them lazing off, and the paopu tree where all three of them would watch the sun set. She imagined the way Pluto wagged his tail, the way Oswald's eyes filled with excitement whenever she did magic with him.

Oswald's hand grew warm in hers and together, the two of them raised his wand. Pluto came to stand behind them, pushing on Kairi's thigh and Oswald's hip as though cheering them on. The light in Kairi's heart only grew from Pluto's support.

She sang the spell with Oswald.

"Holy!"

A sword of light slashed through the heartless, through the cave, through the realm of darkness itself. The red cave disintegrated and Kairi felt a rush of wind sweep her off her feet. She flew off the platform with Oswald and Pluto.

Up above, there was a moon, and the wind was pushing them toward it.

But it wasn't a moon. It was light, a way out of the realm of darkness. Pluto didn't fight the pull, scurrying through the air, up toward the light, but Kairi hesitated when she felt Oswald's hand slip from hers. Turning, she watched in horror as he fell back, letting go.

She tried to swim through the air, to catch him, but Oswald shook his head.

"Wait," Kairi begged, "I can't leave you!"

"I told you before. I won't leave the realm of darkness without Ortensia. She's down there, I know she is."

"No! Oswald!"

He put his hand on his heart. "We will meet again! I know we will! It's a promise! And you had better be a full fleshed mage when we meet again!"

Kairi's tears fell into the darkness. "And you better have found Ortensia when I come back!"

She was pulled through the gateway. Too exhausted to stay awake, she let herself fade into the white light.

* * *

Lewis ran from one end of the room to the other, gathering metal. He was so caught up in his work that Wilbur, Sora, Donald and Goofy could only hand him tools. They watched as Lewis hammered into a ribbon of metal, curving it into a ring. Then he wielded a metal disk onto the ring. Finally, he connected wires from his bully radars to the ring and added some padding on this inside.

When he was finished, he put his contraption on his head, making him look like a doctor with an extra large stethoscope on his forehead. The wire from his new headband connected to the bully detector on his belt. With a screwdriver, he opened up the other bully detector, and tweaked the inner machinery with some fine tools.

"It's finished! I had planned to make a better sensory tool after getting funding from the businessmen at the inventor's showcase but this will have to do for now."

Lewis walked up to Wilbur and put a flat screen in his son's hands. Turning the screen on, a green grid appeared. Then Lewis gave the other bully radar to Sora and instructed him to move about the room. Shrugging, Sora walked around as instructed.

Wilbur whistled and pointed. "Is that Sora?"

On the screen, there was a yellow dot that matched Sora's movements as he walked around.

Lewis grinned. "It works! Hah!"

He turned up the radio frequency on his walkie-talkie.

"What works?" Donald tapped his foot. "I don't get it."

"I've re-calibrated my bully detector and connected it to this screen. If any darkness pops up, it will appear on this screen and I'll be able to direct you toward it, using the bully detector that Sora has."

"I get it," Wilbur said, "the bully detector was originally a walkie-talkie. You're going to use it to communicate and guide them toward those heartless things?"

"That's the plan."

"But will the bully detector's be able to sense the darkness," Goofy asked.

"We won't know until we try." Lewis tapped the big disk on his forehead. "I've increased the sensory range. It should be able to sense things from Wilbur's time machine. We're going to be guiding you guys from the air through the city and exterminating anything we can find. This is going to be fun!"

Donald and Goofy gave each other a dubious look, but Sora came up to Lewis and gave him a high five.

"That's genius!"

"They don't call me the 'Father of the Future' for nothing."

Wilbur twirled the time machine's keys on his finger. "Well, 'Father,' let's go darkness hunting."

* * *

_**Jiminy's Journal**_

Lewis (First Appeared in Meeting the Robinsons, 2007): An intelligent boy who loves to experiment and invent. He doesn't give up even when his experiments don't work on the first, second, or one hundredth try. Lewis will eventually grow up to have a big family and become Cornelius, "The Father of the Future." That is, if he survives whatever came to the past to destroy him.


	10. Chapter 9: The Warehouse

**_Chapter 9: The Warehouse_**

* * *

"So far there's nothing in front of you, but I'm getting some strange readings from further up the street."

Sora listened to Wilbur's voice through the special headset that Lewis had made for him. He gave Donald and Goofy a thumbs up and the trope moved down the street. They had been slowly and carefully walking through the city. Goofy held onto the bully detector, while Sora communicated with Lewis and Wilbur. The father and son duo were flying over them in the time machine, keeping an eagle's eye out for any suspicious activity that may be lurking nearby.

It had been an hour and a half since they had started and they hadn't run into the invisible monster, or even a single heartless. Sora was starting to get a little annoyed. Just once, it would be nice if the heartless appeared when they actually wanted them to.

They passed another busy street and walked into the park on the other side. The playground was full of children running, hiding and climbing the monkey bars while their parents and grandparents supervised.

Sora stopped to stare for a moment. He watched a little boy and his two friends playing in the sand. One boy had an talent for making sand castles. The other boy was excitedly cheering on his friend's creation without doing any work. A girl watched the two of them and decorated the sides of their castle with flowers.

Donald poked Sora in the side.

"What are you smiling about, eh?"

"Aw, they sure do look cute," Goofy cooed.

Sora blushed. "I was just thinking about home. You know, earlier when we met Wilbur's family, I missed my mom. I wonder if she's worried about me."

Donald and Goofy looked at the all the children on the playground.

"I miss my family too," Donald admitted. "I wonder what Huey, Dewey and Louie are doing, if Daisy misses me back at the castle, what kind of crazy, money making scheme Uncle Scrooge is up to and even if Uncle Ludvig has made some crazy invention."

"Wow, you have a big family too?"

"We all have people we left behind, Sora. Gosh, I miss Maxie everyday."

"Who's Maxie?"

"Max is Goofy's boy. I sure hope he's not slacking off on the castle guard back home."

Sora's jaw dropped. "You have a _son_?"

"Yup. Ahyuck. He's a real good boy, my Max. You kind of remind me of him, Sora."

The bully detector started beeping loudly.

"Guys," Lewis screamed into Sora's headset, "the playground!"

The children's laughter had mutated into screams. Heartless rose up from the sand, grabbing hands and ankles, dragging the kids down. Darkness pooled behind the swing set, and the bowler hat heartless appeared, grabbing children, hoisting them into the air and blocking the panicked parents that had tried to help their sons and daughters.

Sora, Donald and Goofy summoned their weapons.

"This is beyond low, even for heartless! Let's get them!"

Goofy charged, his shield raised high. He crashed into the battalion of heartless that had surrounded a group of toddlers. The kids sat and cried, calling for their parents, and were luckily reunited moments after Donald blew away the heartless that had been holding the adults down.

A few families escaped, but the heartless were still coming. A father punched a heartless that flew at his wife and child, while a Grandmother whacked a shadow heartless on the ground with her cane to protect her grandson and husband, but it was no use. The heartless rose up and grabbed the father's legs, pulling him down, while the elderly lady's cane was knocked away and she was helpless as the heartless leapt up in the air, ready to slam her down onto the ground.

Sora jumped in front of the grandparents, stabbing the heartless between the eyes with the end of his keyblade. He smacked the next group of heartless backward and once they were a few feet away, he hit them from above with a thunder spell. Then he dashed forward, slicing through the heartless that had dog-piled on top of the father, freeing him.

"It's clear. Go!"

The young father, mother and child moved to escape, but the grandmother and grandfather weren't as fast. Sora stayed in his spot to guard the grandparents and their grandson, repelling incoming heartless with magic.

Goofy managed to free several more children, and Donald reunited them with their parents, even healing minor scraps with magic before sending the families away. The last heartless went down, and finally the bully detector stopped screaming.

Sora turned to the grandmother and grandfather, who were busy trying to soothe their crying preschooler.

"Are you all right?"

The old woman ruffled Sora's hair.

"Oh, thank you, young man. That was very brave."

Sora grinned. "No problem. It should be safe now."

Grandfather had managed to calm the little boy down. He thanked Sora, Donald and Goofy by giving them each a piece of hard, caramel candy. The family walked off hand in hand. Sora watched until they were across the street.

After scanning the area for more heartless and making sure it was safe, the trio regrouped and made contact with Wilbur and Lewis.

Sora pressed the button to communicate from his headset. "Goofy was right. The bully detector does sense when darkness is nearby."

"Looks like the experiment was a success," came Wilbur's voice.

"Yes. I was able to see the attack coming from my monitor, even from up here." Lewis said next. "I'm so glad it worked! I can't believe those things would attack little kids."

Donald fumed. "Stupid heartless."

"We should keep patrollin' the city," Goofy said. "We can't stop until we find that invisible creature."

The bully detector worked like a charm. Within the next few hours, Sora, Donald and Goofy scanned the whole town, taking down heartless in alleys, rooftops, and even in the city streets. It wasn't until sundown when the trio finally reunited with Wilbur and Lewis.

Completely drained, Sora, Donald and Goofy sat back to back on the floor of the time machine.

"Where is that stupid invisible creature," Donald panted, "we're never going to find it at this rate."

Lewis checked his screen. "I'm not picking up anything on the radar. Seems like we've taken down everything in town."

Wilbur tapped the steering wheel of the time machine. "What do we do now? We can't go back to the future until that invisible monster is killed."

"That creature only attacked my inventor's table at the science fair and it hasn't appeared for as long as I've been in the time machine."

Wilbur turned around sharply. "Lewis, you're not suggesting to be bait for that thing, are you?"

"We don't have any other leads, do we?"

"That's a terrible idea. We're not doing it."

"Hey, I'm your father, you have to do as I say."

"Don't play the dad card on me! What if something happens to you?"

"Can't you have a little faith in me? I already saved the future once. And besides, we don't have a better plan."

Wilbur pressed his hands on his face. "I swear you're just as annoying now as when you're older! If mom were here and she were listening to you, she would karate chop your bully detector, sick her frogs on you and laugh as they make you sleep with the fishes. I'm not exaggerating."

"Yes, you are. Franny would never do that."

"That's not the point! You know she's always right and she would think you're being crazy! Let me be the bait. Nothing will happen to the future if I get hurt here."

"Hey, don't bring your mother into this. And this is about protecting both of our futures. I'm not going to put _you_ in danger!"

Wilbur and Lewis glared into each other's eyes until Sora got between the two of them.

"Who said anything about putting anyone in danger?"

"That's right," Donald chimed in. "We're not going to let anyone go in as bait."

"At least, not alone," Goofy said.

Wilbur tapped his foot on the ground. "I really, _really_, don't like this plan."

"Keep moving forward," Lewis said.

Wilbur glared. "Oh, you just had to use that one on me, didn't you?"

Lewis grinned. "Not fun when your own tactics are used against you, is it?"

"Fine, _Dad_," Wilbur relented. "So what's the plan?"

* * *

Sora, Donald, Goofy and Wilbur crouched behind some bushes. Wilbur kept the radar tight in one hand while eyes searched every direction for movement where there shouldn't be. His other hand rested on top of a can of paint.

Across the street from their hiding spot, Lewis was acting completely normal, as normal as a twelve year old boy could be while wearing a metal headpiece with a mini satellite on it. The bully detector was tucked into his pocket. Lewis sat with a much younger looking Grandma Lucile and Grandpa Bud at a cafe, eating a sandwich. His parents didn't pay attention to the contraption on their son's head as they talked excitedly while sharing their lunch.

Sora watched the people on the street. A fancy car was parked across from the cafe, and a woman with a ridiculously pouffy fur coat walked out of it and down the street. A young man jogged by Lewis' table. A group of kids bought some ice cream from a truck that was parked nearby.

Wilbur, ever vigilant, glared at anyone that came too close to his father's table. A dog ran up to Lewis to get some free pets and Wilbur growled until the dog's owner called it away.

Sora put a hand on Wilbur's shoulder.

"Relax," he said. "If something were to attack, the bully detector would go off."

"I can understand how you're feeling, Wilbur, but I agree with Lewis. I wouldn't want to put my Maxie in danger either."

"You guys are really cool, but you don't understand. Parents always talk about how they would do anything for their kids, but they never think about how hard it would be for us to lose them and my Dad should have been the first person to realize that."

"Why?"

"Lewis grew up in an orphanage. My grandma and grandpa adopted him. He should already know what it's like not to have parents."

Sora and Donald opened their mouths to say something, to comfort Wilbur, but couldn't come up with a good pep talk. Only Goofy's good natured kindness was able to give Wilbur some guidance.

"I think you should have faith in him like he has faith in you."

"Faith in me?"

"He wouldn't have asked you to help protect him if he didn't think you could not do it. Family has each other's back, ya know. Just like how us friends do. We won't let anything happen to Lewis."

Sora punched Wilbur softly in the shoulder. "That's right."

Wilbur smiled. "But I still don't like how that lady in the fur coat is smoking so close to my dad."

Sora looked. The fur coat woman was sitting a few tables from Lewis. She was reading a newspaper while green smoke puffed from the long cigarette holder she held between her bony fingers. She was a strange woman. It was too warm to wear such a coat, and her hair was black on one side, and white on the other.

Lewis' bully detector began to beep.

Wilbur looked down at the radar in his hands and then pointed.

"Look over there."

Just a few parked cars down, the leaves on the pavement were moving. There wasn't any wind and the leaves were crunching flat, even though nothing was crushing them. At least, nothing visible. Nodding to each other, Sora, Donald, Goofy and Wilbur watched the movement of the leaves. They moved, paying attention to the leaves, using then to slowly creep up on the invisible creature.

Wilbur opened the can of paint and held it carefully under his arm as they got closer. The creature must have been moving very slowly, for there wasn't any sounds of its footsteps, but the cars it passed on the street did sway slightly from its passing.

The beeping from Lewis' headdress had caught the attention of the people on the street and the cafe, but Lewis refused to turn it off. All of the bystanders left the cafe out of annoyance, except for Wilbur's parents and the black and white haired woman in the fur coat.

The beeping was a lot faster now, the creature must have reached Lewis. Wilbur jumped out of the bushes, raced across the street and threw his can of blue paint up into the air. It sprinkled down over something and then everyone could see the spiky back of some kind of monster.

The civilians on the street screamed as the paint moved in midair. They began to run away. Lewis' parents grabbed him and began to flee, but the creature let out a roar and chased after them. Now it was Sora, Donald and Goofy's turn.

They burst out of the bushes, sliding between Lewis and the creature. Sora and Donald blasted it with fire spells, while Goofy threw up his shield, just in time to deflect a blow from the creature's invisible jaw. They spread out, attacking the creature from the front, the side, and the back.

The paint on the creature's back spun as the creature turned, throwing Sora, Donald and Goofy back as something thick and muscular hit them from from the air. Caught off guard, Sora he fell onto his back and barely had time to react when he heard the stomps of the creature as it approached him.

He threw a fire spell into the air, hoping to push the creature back. The fireball hit something directly in front of him, and the asphalt to his right cracked. A second later, he felt as though someone had broken an egg on his head and then blue paint dripped onto his shirt.

He looked up. Wilbur was above them in the time machine, dumping paint down onto the ground. The creature was now completely covered and they could see its entire outline. Sora rolled away and regrouped with Donald and Goofy, who were staring at the monster with open mouths.

It was a T-rex, and it had turned around to charge at the three of them. Sora, Donald and Goofy split up. Donald ran into a nearby alley, where the creature couldn't enter because of its size. From his safe spot, he threw ice and lightning spells at the T-rex, while Sora and Goofy engaged it from the ground.

Goofy shielded Sora from the T-rex's bite, giving the keyblade master enough time to move under the T-rex and slash at its underbelly. The T-rex reared back on its hind legs and tail, roaring. Goofy took this moment to throw his shield at its face.

Sora attacked the two legs, and the T-rex lost its balance and fell on its side, crashing into the parked cars on the street. Donald came out of the alley, a lightning spell buzzing at the end of his staff. Goofy jumped up in the air, his shield under his feet. Sora charged at the creature's belly.

The thundaga spell shocked the T-rex's entire body, Goofy smashed down on the creature's neck with his shield, and Sora gave one powerful, final slash at the creature's belly. There was an explosion and then the painted outline of the creature was gone. Goofy landed in a heap on the paint splattered floor, but stood up with triumphant smile.

"So it was a heartless after all," Sora said, watching as a glowing, pink heart flew up through the air, disappearing into the clouds.

Donald jumped a full three feet. "Yeah! We did it!"

Wilbur landed the time machine on the ground. But when the glass dome of the time machine opened and Wilbur tumbled out, he didn't look happy. His face was green, his legs shaking. A second later, he fell to his knees.

Sora, Donald and Goofy were next to him in seconds.

"Are you okay?"

"No." Wilbur croaked. "I don't think I can hold out much longer. Something's wrong. Lewis."

It was just then that Sora looked around the street and spotted Lewis' parents. They were speaking to a police officer. While Donald and Goofy looked after Wilbur, Sora went toward Lewis' parents. Just a few steps away, he heard the terrifying news.

"She was wearing a white coat, and she drove a long, sleek, red and black car."

Sora raced back to his friends. Goofy lifted Wilbur's head off the floor and Sora put Wilbur's arm across his shoulders. Together, they helped Wilbur back into the time machine and sat him down in one of the chairs. Sora went to the controls and grabbed the steering wheel.

"Can you really drive this thing," Donald said.

"Can't be that different from driving the gummi ship."

Too frantic to put that much thought into what he was doing, Sora let instinct take over, and luckily, they were up in the air in a few moments. He let the time machine hover for a little while and then checked on Wilbur.

Donald was funneling healing spells into him and Goofy had given him potions, but Wilbur didn't look like he was getting any better.

Wilbur coughed. "It's Lewis. What happened to him?"

"That weird lady you were worried about earlier, I think she kidnapped him."

"I knew she was suspicious!"

Wilbur's outburst made him hack and he turned over, looking as though he were about to retch. Goofy produced a bucked from somewhere and Wilbur hurled. When he had finally stopped, he reached out for Sora with a pale, sweaty hand.

"You have to find him and fast. The future."

"I know."

"But how are we going to find them? We don't know where to look," Donald said.

"The radar, and the bully detector," Wilbur pointed to the front seat.

Sora gathered up Lewis' inventions. The radar was still beeping.

"Lewis made them so that they can track each other. Hurry."

Goofy took the radar from Sora.

"I'll keep an eye out. You drive."

Wilbur turned on his side and curled up into a ball. Donald casted another healing spell on him.

"Thanks," Wilbur whispered and then feinted.

"We have to hurry," Donald said, "the magic isn't going to last forever."

The yellow dot, which indicated Lewis' position, on the radar, was moving. The friends flew over the city, chasing it. Sora parked the time machine in the air over a warehouse on the outskirts of town. From above, the building looked as though it could collapse at any second.

Carefully, Sora landed the time machine in the alleyway next to the warehouse. He climbed out with Goofy right behind him. Donald didn't leave Wilbur's side.

"I'll stay behind with him. Get Lewis out of danger."

"We will," Sora said.

Goofy handed Donald an ether. "I'm running low. We may need to stock up again soon."

"Be careful," said Donald. He closed up the time machine.

Sora and Goofy stepped around to the side of the warehouse. All the window and doors were barred and covered by wooden planks. The front door didn't have a lock for Sora to open with his keyblade. It too was boarded shut. The only way in was the old fashioned way.

Hiding behind Goofy's shield, the two friends rammed the front door, breaking through the wood and crashing into the warehouse. The first thing they noticed was the dust. Sora and Goofy picked themselves off the floor and sneezed. A nice layer of brown covered the old, yellow, linoleum floor.

Shelves of moldy cardboard boxes, rotting wood, and rusted metal were laid out before them. The shelves stretched up toward the high ceiling and into the darkness that obscured the innards the warehouse. Broken lightbulbs hung from the ceiling, swaying back and forth, making a high pitched creaking that echoed through the large space.

Sora and Goofy stepped carefully down the aisles. They passed by the shiny, red and black car Sora had seen parked on the street when Lewis was at the cafe. From the front, the headlights of the car looked like scowling face.

The car's location marked the end of the aisles. The dark warehouse suddenly burst with lights, blinding them for a moment. When Sora finally got used to the brightness, he felt cold, wet dread lick the back of his neck.

The block long warehouse ended in a large empty space filled with broken scaffolding on the back wall. Shards of glass and old, forgotten materials were littered all over the floor. All the way across the room, sitting in a lonely chair, right in the middle of the huge space, was Lewis.

Ropes were tied around his body and his mouth was hidden under a white cloth. Next to him, breathing out a long, thin line of gag inducing, green smoke was the black and white haired woman from the cafe. Sora and Goofy raced forward, their weapons drawn.

"Ah, ah, ah," the woman wagged her finger.

The bully detector in Goofy's hand beeped. Heartless appeared next to Lewis.

Sora and Goofy froze.

"Don't you know how a hostage situation works, you fools? You don't want the future ruined, now do you?"

Sora lowered his weapon. "What do you want?"

"That ridiculous contraption there." She pointed to Goofy's bully detector.

"How do I know you'll let him go if we give it you?"

"By my name as Cruella De Vil, you have my word that I'll let the brat go. Now hurry up. I can't guarantee what those heartless will do."

Sora took the bully detector from Goofy and slowly approached the skeletal woman. She snatched the walkie-talkie out of his hand with a wide, pointy smile. Then she raised her cigarette into the air and the smoke at the tip hardened and congealed into a green fireball. She aimed at Lewis.

Goofy didn't hesitate. He threw himself forward, shield up, crashing into one of the heartless just in time to protect Lewis from the fiery attack. The green flames burst around his shield but Lewis was unharmed.

Sora lunged at the woman, Cruella, but heartless appeared in his way. As Sora and Goofy battled a wave of heatless, a familiar shadow loomed over the back wall of the warehouse. Sora recognized that long, thin silhouette. It was Dr. Facilier.

Cruella threw the bully detector and the shadow caught it with one hand. Then it snuck up behind Goofy and Lewis and lifted the other bully detector from Lewis' belt. Goofy thrusted his shield at the shadow but it quickly sank into the ground, sliding away with the bully detectors.

Sora slashed through another wave of heartless and barely had any time to defend himself as Cruella threw another ball of green flames his way. Using his keyblade like a baseball bat, Sora knocked the spell away from him and the fireball crashed against the weak roof, making the entire warehouse shiver.

The shaking walls distracted the heartless, allowing Goofy to finally untie Lewis. The boy jumped out of his seat and ran. Goofy chased after Lewis, deflecting heartless as he ran back into the aisles of the warehouse. A group of heartless jumped in the air, ready to dog-pile Goofy, but Sora destroyed them with a lightning spell, finally allowing his friends to escape.

He moved to follow his friends, but heartless appeared in his path. As Sora made quick work of them, he sensed something hot on his back. Sora jumped to to the left, just in time to see a green ball of fire char the heartless he had just been fighting. Turning around, he saw another fireball coming at his face.

Sora rolled out of the way. Across the room, Cruella's already messy hair was spiking up hideously around her face as she threw fire spells nonstop. Her spells fanned out like a whirling hurricane, attacking Sora and the remaining heartless. He jumped and ducked, but the spells were sticking to the floor and walls, giving Sora less and less space to maneuver.

"First you stopped my plans to make the perfect puppy coat and now this!"

The smell of cigarette smoke was Sora's only warning that another fireball was coming his way. He dodged to the right, barely avoiding the green flames as the spell zoomed past and crashed into the aisles behind him. Then he was backed into a corner, pushed between the warehouse wall and a barricade of fire, all he could do was smack the incoming spell back at Cruella. It flew at her head, but she simply spread out her fingers and the fireball dissipated before it could burn what little skin was left on her thin face.

"Puppy coat?" Sora panted. "What are you talking about?"

"My Dalmatians, you imbecile. If you and your disgusting animal friends hadn't found them all, I would have had a glorious new fur coat by now."

She summoned a fireball three times as huge as the last and it seared through the air. There was no way to block that one, and Sora had no choice but to roll through the flames on the ground to avoid it. The fireball slammed into the warehouse wall where he had been second before, leaving a black hole in the concrete.

Sora patted down the green flames on his clothes, casting a healing spell on himself to ease the burns. Fury roared in his heart. His grip on his keyblade tightened until his entire arm twitched.

"You were the one that separated Pongo and Perdita from their puppies? All to make some stupid coat?"

Cruella lifted up her arm. Another blast was coming, this one almost as tall as the warehouse aisles. "And I was so close too," she hissed.

"How could you kill puppies for a fur coat? What's wrong with you?"

"Naive boy, don't you know that animals only exist for the enjoyment of people?"

Sora felt an anger eat away at his bones, and he charged through the fire toward Cruella, ignoring the burning on his legs and the crackling of the flames in his ears. Just a few feet away, he raised his keyblade, ready to throttle her, but she simply flicked the giant fireball at him.

The impact was like hitting a burning, sandpapered wall. Sora fell against the ground, smoking from head to toe, barely able to lift his arm and cast a healing spell on himself. The warmth of the cure spell did little good, only keeping him conscious.

There was a whisper in his ear.

"Sora, are you okay?"

Jiminy.

"I can't get close," he panted, slowly turning over to stand back up.

From behind his hood, he felt something light fall off of him. Then he spotted a little spec jumping over the green flames on the ground. It was nearing Cruella.

Sora waved his arm. "Hey, Cruella, your fashion sense is so last week."

"Excuse me? All those ridiculous zippers and you call my fabulous outfit outdated."

"Not just outdated, tacky."

"Why you-"

She lifted her hand in the air, a fire spell as big as a semi truck pooling at the end of her cigarette holder. Cruella swung her arm back. Sora covered his face, preparing for the attack. Jiminy jumped on Cruella's hand and pulled her fingers free. The cigarette holder came lose, the fireball flew up into the air, and the ceiling exploded.

Debris rained down on Sora and Cruella.

Panic overruled Sora's exhaustion. He jumped, ducked and weaved as broken scaffolding, metal beams and glass stabbed into the floor. In the midst of all the running, Sora spotted Jiminy on the ground, hiding under his umbrella, barely avoiding the chunks of ceiling that were ready to squash him. Sora turned around, and ran toward Jiminy, scooping him up. He tucked the cricket into his pocket and then had to raise his keyblade over his head to stop a piece of the ceiling from giving him a concussion.

Cruella screamed. Her coat was caught under a fallen beam from the ceiling and she was desperately trying to dislodge it, not noticing that the concrete slabs right above her head were dangling by a single thin, metal string. The slabs came lose, and before Sora could even try to rush to help her, she was buried under several tons of metal and cement.

The ceiling wasn't finished breaking apart, and Sora jumped out of the way as a rockslide of bricks came crashing down toward him. The walls were beginning to crumble inward, trapping Sora. Something shined about his head, and he looked up to see the time machine coming down from the sky.

Goofy was hanging out of the side of the time machine, holding onto Donald's legs.

Donald reached out for Sora. "Grab on!"

Sora leapt, his hands clamping down on Donald's wrists.

Goofy roared from above. "Pull!"

Sora was lifted up into the air. The time machine weaved between the falling pieces of the building. Sora felt his legs get nicked and scratched by runaway rubble, but then Goofy and Donald finally pulled him into the time machine. He crashed into his two friends. Behind them, Lewis closed the time machine's glass dome.

"Wilbur, jump to the future!" Lewis commanded.

The crumbling warehouse vanished. Bright colors erased everything. Donald and Goofy held onto Sora as they flew through the rainbow tube. The old fashioned city with its brick buildings and pollution inducing cars had disappeared, replaced by the bright and shiny city of the future.

Wilbur flew them straight to the Robinson house, and landed the time machine on the lawn just as the entire Robinson family came running out.

Inside the time machine, Donald and Goofy fussed about Sora, but he waved them off.

"I'm okay, I'm okay! Really."

"Why'd you have to take that crazy lady on by yourself," Donald demanded.

"I didn't take her on by myself. Jiminy had my back. Thanks pal."

From behind Sora's hood there was a little chuckle. "Anytime."

"Wilbur, open this time machine right this minute, Mister!"

Franny's furious voice made Wilbur hide behind Lewis.

"Maybe you should go first, Dad."

With an annoyed sigh, Lewis opened the time machine's dome and hoped out. The mere sight of him cooled the fury in Franny's eyes and she threw her arms around him.

"Oh don't tell me you were in danger again!"

"I'm okay. Really. I'm fine."

"We sure are," said a familiar voice.

The entire family turned around to see Cornelius Robinson walking out of the house. Without missing a beat, Lewis went up to his older self and gave him a high five. Wilbur jumped out of the time machine and ran to his dad. Sora, Donald and Goofy watched as the father and son hugged, until the rest of the family pulled them out of the time machine to join in on the celebration.

After getting thanked personally by everyone, and even getting a kiss on the cheek from Mrs. Robinson, Sora, Donald and Goofy found themselves in the grand dining room of the Robinson house. Everyone was eating PB&J sandwiches.

"Have you seen any more heartless in the future," Lewis asked his older self.

"Not since the five of you came back. I haven't gotten any reports from the city."

"Does that mean that the heartless problem is done," Wilbur asked.

"Maybe," Lewis said, "but we won't know for sure. Hey, remember those bully detectors I made when we were kids?"

"Hmm, yeah, we did make something like that. But I remember that they disappeared."

"Might want to try and remake those bully detectors. Although I think they might need a better name at this point."

"How about darkness detectors? If those heartless come back, we'll be ready."

Watching Lewis and Cornelius talk gave Sora a headache. Time travel was crazy enough, but Lewis and Cornelius acted as though talking to yourself was like talking to your best friend.

"So what are you guys going to do now," Wilbur asked.

Sora's mouth was too full of peanut butter to talk, but Goofy answered for him.

"Well, if the heartless problem is solved and the future is saved, I guess we should be continuing our travels."

Cornelius dug into his pocket. "Before you go, I wanted to give these to you."

He handed Sora, Donald and Goofy a pin. Donald and Goofy immediately put the rocket shaped pin on their shirts.

"What are these?"

Lewis and Cornelius shared a look and winked. "Think of it as a lucky charm. Might come in handy."

"Wow. Thanks."

"I really should be thanking all of you guys," Lewis said. "For saving me, for saving Wilbur, and for saving the future."

After dessert was served, Wilbur took Lewis back to his time. Sora, Donald and Goofy said goodbye to Cornelius and his family. As they were leaving, just outside the Robinson house, a light flashed in the corner of Sora's eye. Turning around, he saw that the big letter R that hung over the front door of the Robinson mansion was gleaming. Donald and Goofy watched as the letter faded, to be replaced by the shape of a keyhole.

Raising his keyblade, Sora sent a beam of light into the keyhole. There was a click, and the keyhole faded. The world locked, and a warm breeze flowed over the lawn, through the future city in the distance, and through time, giving Lewis a sense of closure when he returned to the past.

* * *

The darkness' whispers were soothing but the deeper he fell into sleep, the harder it became to breath.

_ Stay asleep. _

"No."

_ What good would it do for you to go back?_

"I have to go back. I have to see my friends."

_ What friends? Can you even remember their names? _

He didn't have an answer.

_ You abandoned them. You opened your heart to darkness. They don't want you back. _

But he wanted to see them, even if he didn't deserve to. He wanted to know they were safe, he wanted to say sorry, he wanted...he couldn't remember. The darkness smothered him back into oblivion and the more he tried to fight it, the harder it squeezed his heart.

Something sliced through his sleep. It pushed the darkness away and then he remembered something. Names.

Sora.

Kairi.

And one more name.

Ansem.

He resisted the darkness, swimming up against the harsh current of the black depths that were trying to pull him back down, reaching toward a tiny star above the surface of the dark water. The light blinked in and out, yet still he reached for it. Even if it were small, even if were far away, he knew he had to get it.

The darkness spoke.

_ Why fight?_

He didn't answer, he kept swimming.

_I am a part of your heart now. You will have to face me sooner or later._

The star was just ahead of him. He reached up to grab it but the darkness gathered around his chest like the claws of a monster, pulling him back.

_You've been in the realm of darkness too long. You're mine now. _

The star was getting further and further away. He scratched and struggled against the tendrils of darkness wrapped around his body. A weapon appeared in his hand, and he sliced the darkness, but it was not enough. More dark hands appeared to try and drag him down.

Then something came down from above, white and hot like lightning. The dark hands loosened just a tiny bit and he wriggled free, swimming up and breaking through the surface. He rolled over onto a shiny, colorful glass platform, gasping for breath.

Finally able to stand on his feet, he looked down. The dark ocean he had swam through was gone. Instead, he saw a picture of himself on the disk-shaped platform below. A silver haired boy rested against a tree with star shaped fruit. He stood alone, looking out into the sea.

He was finally out of the dark. It was safe to wake up.

Riku opened his eyes. In his half awake state, he could feel the darkness lingering in his heart, but now that he was awake, he was more equipped to fight it. The world around him was completely black. He was still in the realm of darkness, but he knew that there must have been some new light in that realm, otherwise he never would have had the strength to wake up.

His heart seized, and for a moment, Riku thought he heard a familiar voice.

"Kairi?"

* * *

_**Jiminy's Journal**_

Cruella De Vil (First Appeared in 101 Dalmatians, 1961): A fashion obsessed woman who wanted to use Pongo and Perdita's puppies to make herself a fur coat. Her greed and obsession proved to be her downfall.

Riku (First Appeared in Kingdom Hearts, 2002): A responsible boy from Destiny Islands and one of Sora's best friends. He disappeared into the darkness after Sora and Mickey closed the door. No one knows what happened to him, or if he is still fighting the darkness on the other side.


	11. Chapter 10: The Forests of Spirits

**_Chapter 10: The Forest of Spirits_**

* * *

A purple vortex revealed Sora, Donald and Goofy re-entering the castle's foyer from the diminutional door. Dr. Facilier watched the trio.

"So much for the the Fationista," said the fire headed god next to Dr. Facilier.

The witch doctor smiled, pulling out a walk-talkie from his pocket.

"Cruella may have succumbed to her own insane hatred, but she still did her job."

"And just what do you plan to do with those, my shadowy friend?"

"Oh, you'll find out, sooner or later."

"You know, I've worked with three old, wrinkly fates that are less cryptic then you."

"Thank you for the compliment." Dr. Facilier inclined his head.

The so called God of the Underworld clicked his shark teeth, and then shrugged. "Whatever. As long as what you're doing gets rid of those three yutzes, I'm not going to complain."

"Speak for yourself," said another in the room.

The old man in minister's robes walked forward and gazed into the window in the air. His eyes narrowed as he glared at the image of Sora, Donald and Goofy speaking to the so called "treasure hunter."

"What a disgusting display," said the old man, curling his lip at the treasure hunter. "Clearly a gypsy, that man. How you can stand to let that filth stay in this castle is beyond me."

He waved his hand, as though shaking off a piece of dust from his fingertips.

"Tell me, are the rest of us to share that boorish woman's fate?"

Dr. Facilier bowed graciously at the old man. "Cruella was consumed by her own need for vengeance of course, but that doesn't mean that one so noble as yourself must follow her example."

"Don't patronize me."

"Not at all your Grace. And fear not. The boy found another keyhole. Everything is still on track. As long as the two of you do your part, all will be well."

* * *

"Whoa kid, what happened to you?"

Locke pointed at Sora's clothes.

"What did you do, jump from paint buckets into a mud puddle?"

Sora rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I know, I'm a mess, but that's not important right now. Did anything strange happen while we were gone?"

"Sure did."

Locke pointed over his shoulder to the entrance wall of the castle. The wall was more translucent then ever. Just beyond the thin, white material, Sora could see a blurry, dark blue something. Maybe it was the sky?

"Oh boy," Donald jumped, "does this mean we can finally get out of here?"

Sora knocked on the wall. While the cold surface wasn't visually sturdy, it was still felt too hard to break through.

"What's causing this wall to look weaker. Is it because we're going to a different world each time we travel through the castle door?"

"And what about Dr. Facilier. We still don't know where in this castle he is," Goofy added.

"Or what he's going to do with Lewis' bully radar," Sora said.

"Don't forget that man in the black coat," Jiminy whispered in Sora's ear.

Locke snapped his fingers in front of Sora's eyes. "So are you guys going to tell me what you're talking about or do I have to piece together the story myself?"

When Donald and Goofy finished filling the treasure hunter in, Locke leaned back against the castle wall and crossed his arms.

"That explains the green smoke."

"Green smoke?" Donald repeated.

"As soon as you guys went through the door, just as it was closing, there was trail of green smoke following you. By the time I got to the door, it was already closed, and the smoke had passed through. I couldn't pull it open after that. Seems as though the door locks on this side after you three close it."

Donald huffed. "So that's how Cruella got into that world."

"Did you see anything else? Like the shadow of really thin guy?"

Locke shrugged at Sora. "Other then the smoke, there was nothing. In the ten minutes you guys were gone, that's all that happened."

Donald quacked. "Only ten minutes?"

Jiminy hopped out of Sora's hood and went to the transparent wall. He opened his journal and began writing.

Sora knelt down behind him.

"What are you up to?"

"I'm writing down all the clues we have so far. This wall gets thinner every time we go to another world. The door locks from this side when we enter, and it seems as though time works differently in here then in the worlds through that door." Jiminy tapped his feather quill on his lower lip. "But what could it all mean?"

"Maybe we just need to do like Lewis said, and keep moving forward," Goofy said. "But I sure wish we could resupply on some potions and ethers."

"If it's supplies you need, I got them," Locke said. "Though they don't come cheap."

"We have a lot of munny," Goofy said, digging into his pocket.

"Not munny. Got anything from that world you visited? Any special treasure?"

Goofy pulled out the button that Cornelius had given him from his pocket. "Will this do?"

Locke took the button from Goofy, turning it over. On one side, there was a rocket ship. On the other side, the button was smooth and flat. Locke bounced the button up and down in his palm and grinned.

"Yup. This will do."

For a guy that didn't look as though he had pockets, Locke produced a lot of glass bottles and vials seemingly out of nowhere.

"And as a special gift." Locke winked, pulling out a glass vial with swirling, galaxy colored liquid. "One elixir."

"Gosh! Thank you, Locke."

While Goofy carefully stocked up on supplies, Donald came to stand next to Sora and leaned up to whisper in his ear.

"There's something I want to try when we go to the next world. Don't do anything there until after I've checked."

"Okay," Sora whispered back.

Jiminy finished writing and hopped back up into Sora's hood. Goofy put away his newly bought supplies. After saying goodbye to Locke one more time, the trio passed through the door.

* * *

The realm of darkness felt different then the last time he was awake. There was a hint of a scent that Riku couldn't put his finger on. He tried to think back to what had helped him wake up, but the memory of his dream was hazy. He walked with his weapon, the soul eater, in his hand, keeping an eye out for heartless while trying to figure out his next move at the same time.

The last thing he remembered was closing the door with Sora and King Mickey. Had he fallen asleep right after? Riku put a hand over his heart. And, at least, Sora and Kairi were safe.

Or so he hoped.

For a split second, right after he had woken up, he thought he had heard Kairi's voice, but it must have been his imagination. He was alone. Even King Mickey had vanished. When the realm of darkness had been cut off from the realm of light, something had forced him into a deep sleep, something strong enough to separate him from the king, but what could it have been?

Riku stepped on something squishy. Looking down, he felt his blood run cold as a shadow heartless had appeared in the ground. It wrapped its hands around his leg and soon, Riku found himself being dragged down.

Riku swung his the soul eater and sliced the heartless' arms. It let him go, and he pulled his leg free. Yet, he wasn't finished fighting yet. More heartless appeared on the road before him. Riku charged and slashed through the first wave easily, but another squadron of heartless appeared right after, converging on him.

Gasping, Riku fought the next wave, and the next, until the sweat was dripping from his face. His entire body ached from exhaustion. The soul eater was too heavy to lift and his arm fell limply to his side. The heartless had slowly morphed from simple shadows, to menacing dark balls, and finally to powerful neo-shadows.

The hungry creatures had pushed him to the edge of the platform he had been standing on. Riku stared at the line of heartless advancing toward him. His head swam in a thick fog, his knees shook, and a voice spoke from deep inside him.

_Why don't you control them? You did it before. _

"No."

The voice was silent, but its presence was not gone.

A neo-shadow lunged at him.

Raising his weapon, Riku was able to stab the heartless right in the gut, making it explode in the air, but he didn't have any time to react when three other heartless came at him from the front, the left, and the right. They grabbed his arms and pushed him down. Riku could barely breathe under all the weight, but he forced himself up against the heartless' crushing downward push.

No any energy left to fight, Riku rolled, falling off the edge of the platform and taking the three neo-shadows with him. The fall was enough to send the three heartless flying off, but Riku had no way of stopping himself from splattering into the platform down below.

Something hit him from mid air, and Riku was knocked out cold.

* * *

The chirping of birds and the whistling of wind moving through the leaves met Sora's ears. The smell of fresh spring and the softness of the grass under his feet was a much welcome feeling after being in the dreary, rotting space of the warehouse in the last world. Too bad his clothes didn't look any less messy.

Goofy went to the nearest rock and sat down to stretch and Sora was about to join him before he felt a tugging on the back of his shirt. Turning around, he saw Donald point to the door that led back to Castle Oblivion.

"Lock the door so that nothing follows us this time."

"Good idea."

Sora stood in front of the white door and aimed his keyblade at it. A second passed, and the keblade didn't respond. Sora swung the keyblade again at the door, but there wasn't even spark at the end of his weapon.

"What are you doing Sora?" Donald snapped impatiently. "Lock the door."

"I'm trying, but the keyblade's not working."

Sora inspected the door. There was a handle, but there was no lock. Grabbing the handle, Sora tried to pull it open, but the door didn't budge.

"Come on!"

He swung his keyblade again but the weapon refused to respond.

"This is so weird. Usually, the keyblade would react to it!"

Goofy left his rock and put his ear to the door. Then he knocked on it.

"Gosh. Maybe the door to Castle Oblivion works differently then the other doors."

"Maybe it won't let us pass back through until we're done with this world."

"Aw phooey." Donald kicked the dirt. "I was so sure we could lock it too."

Sora checked the other side of the door, and had no luck finding a lock on that side either. Something blue flickered on the forest floor by his feet, erasing all thoughts of the door from Sora's mind. The blue speck danced around his legs and then floated away.

A whisper fluttered through the air. It was so quiet that Sora felt as though he had heard it in his thoughts, but then Donald and Goofy looked around the forest, searching for the sound.

The blue spec reappeared a few feet away.

Sora moved toward the blue wisp but it was gone just as he took a step. Up ahead, another blue wisp appeared. This one moved, and Sora heard the soft whispers coming from it.

Donald came around the door and pointed. "What's that?"

The wisp blinked out.

"Donald," Sora whined, "why'd you have to be to loud?"

"I was just asking a question!"

"Hey fellars, there it is again." The wisp had moved to shimmer between two trees just a few more paces ahead.

Donald charged. "Get it!"

He lunged forward, his greedy fingers wrapping around the blue spec. The wisp blinked out before he could get his feathers on it and Donald crashed into the floor, right in the middle of a clearing in the woods.

Sora and Goofy followed Donald into the clearing and then marveled at the site around them. They stood on emerald green hill, with thirteen-foot-tall stone pillars arranged in a circle. Scratches and scuffs decorated the pillars. Sora wondered if the stones were naturally set up in a circle, or if someone placed them in that pattern. Before he could ask his friends about it, the crunching of leaves drew his attention back to the forest.

A girl and a big, burly man with pouffy, red hair rolled out of the trees and right into the middle of the stone circle. The man raised a sword high and brought it down on the girl. She blocked easily with her own sword and danced around him to try and slash at him from behind. He blocked her by throwing his sword over his shoulder. With a grunt, the big man threw her back and the girl nearly crashed into one of the stones.

"Keep yer elbows up, girl!"

The big man roared, charging.

Sora and Goofy slid between the two. Goofy blocked the sword strike with his shield, allowing Sora to shove the big man away. The man fell backward into the grass, his blue eyes wide with surprise. He kicked his peg leg in the air as he tried to regain his balance. Donald used this chance to grab the sword from the man's hands.

Goofy charged to help his friend. "Don't worry, miss, we'll handle this!"

By this time, Donald and Goofy had piled up on the big man. The man thrashed.

"Sora! Get in here," Donald called.

"He's really strong!"

The big, red haired man grunted. "Merida! Help!"

Sora ran forward, his keyblade up. Something swept in front of his shins and he fell face first into the dirt. Raising his head, and spitting out a mouth full of fresh earth, Sora saw something shine from above him.

"What are ya doin' to my Dad?"

Looking up, Sora saw the girl. She drew back her bow, aiming an arrow at him.

"Let him go," she commanded Donald and Goofy.

The duck and the dog got off the big man. He sat up, rubbing his forehead.

Sora stood. The girl tightened her bow string in response. It was a warning.

He put up his hands. "I'm not going to do anything. I swear!"

"Who are ya? What are ya doin' here?"

Donald and Goofy abandoned the big man and got between Sora and the girl.

"Hey! Put that done before you put someone's eye out," Donald growled.

"Gosh, miss. We're sorry. We didn't know he was your dad."

"Yeah," Sora added, "why was he attacking you with a sword?"

"We were sparing, ya dumb lad."

The big man had now completely recovered. He came to stand next to his daughter, and nodded to Sora, Donald and Goofy.

"Aye, twas just a friendly bout between father and daughter." He ruffled the girl's already messy, bright red hair. "Got to make sure my little girl has got her wits about her."

"You need to keep your wits about _you_! They almost had ya."

The girl finally put down her bow and arrow and bowed her head. Her long, unruly hair spilled over her shoulders. She raised her dark, green skirts in a curtsy that did not suit her at all.

"I am Merida. First born of Clan DunBroch and this is my father, King Fergus."

Sora, Donald and Goofy never got the chance to bow because King Fergus darted forward to poke Goofy's shield.

"You blocked me sword with this wee thing? And you, young man, that is some weapon. No one can push the Bear King back, 'cept me big, strong, girl here."

Fergus' entire barrel chest puffed up as he laughed. Shaking her head, Merida moved passed Sora, Donald and Goofy to pick up her sword, which lay on the grass at the base of the stone pillar. Sora watched her slide the sword into the sheath on her hip.

"You use a bow and a sword?"

"Archery is my specialty. Though I'm not bad with sword either."

"That's my girl!"

"Daaaad."

Fergus cleared his throat and then faced Sora. "So, what brings you three to my lands."

"We were chasing some blue, fiery thing here," Donald answered.

"The will-o'-the-wisps are back?"

Goofy tilted his head. "Willa-the-what-now?"

Merida snorted. "Will-o'-the-wisps. They're spirits that live in these forests. Some say they lead ya to yer fate. Though, why are they here?"

Fergus put his big hands on Sora and Goofy's shoulders. "Let's think later, lads. For now, join me us at our camp! We'll eat and then have a rematch! I want to see what that strange sword and that shield can really do."

Sora, Donald and Goofy quickly found themselves following Fergus and Merida back to their camp. After a short walk, white triangle tents appeared at the bottom of a green hill. Men were riding their horses around the camp, sparring, or training the hunting dogs. A feast was set up on one of the tables. Fruits, fresh bread, chunks of cheese, plates full of giant turkey legs and the most savory looking ham Sora had ever seen.

King Fergus walked them to the table and then growled. Three little boys, all with identical red puffs of hair, were sitting on the table, gobbling up a plate piled high with jelly tarts.

"Hubert, Hamish, Harris! I leave ya three alone for one minute and you're attacking the sweets! Eat some meat for goodness sake! You three are going to get a tummy ache."

King Fergus lunged forward to try and grab the triplets, but the wee devils were fast. Giggling, they darted off into the camp, with King Fergus chasing after them. His peg leg slowed him down, but he still he barreled through the camp after the three boys. Merida watched, laughing loudly at the scuffle.

"Well," she turned, "dig in, you three. You'd best eat yer fill before my dad comes back."

"Don't mind if I do!"

Donald stuffed whole pieces of bread and cheese into his mouth.

Goofy joined in. Even Jiminy hopped onto the table to take a bite out of an apple but Sora wasn't feeling partially hungry.

"You said earlier that those will-o'-the-wisps lead you to your fate, what did you mean?"

"Ach! Mysterious those things are. They led me to a witch last time, and I made one big, dumb mistake."

Merida picked up her bow and quiver and walked across the camp to where an archery range was set up. She rolled her shoulders, notched an arrow on her bowstring, aimed at the target and fired.

Bullseye.

"But if it weren't for that witch, my mum and I would still be arguing."

Sora clapped. "Wow! You're a really good shot."

"Aye," Merida winked, "no one's got my skill fo r shooting." She held out her bow. "Want to try?"

Sora took the bow from her hand and tried to mimic her stance. Pulling the bow was a lot harder then he had first thought. Even worse, the arrow wouldn't stay straight.

"Pull back to yer cheek," Merida instructed.

Sora did as she said. The bow shook in front of him, and he tried to line up the tip of the arrow with the target. He fired and the arrow flew through the air and thunked into the dirt several feet in front of the target.

Merida laughed. "Reminds me of my first shot."

"Think I'll stick to magic," Sora said.

"Magic? Really lad?"

"What, you don't believe me?" Sora summoned his keyblade, raising it so that the end of the weapon lined up with the target in the distance.

"Fire!"

A ball of flame shot across the field and burned the target on the other side to a crisp. Merida whooped.

"That was amazing! Say, how about a match, your sword against mine, eh?"

Sora rested his keyblade on his shoulder. "Bring it."

Merida unsheathed the sword at her hip. "Ready?"

The second Sora nodded, she lunged. He easily sidestepped and parried her next attack, but Merida was fast. She jumped back, circled around him and then aimed a jab at his head. Sora raised his keyblade to block and then found himself on the floor as Merida had used his reaction to switch targets and sweep her leg under his feet. Before she could claim victory, Sora rolled and tried to slash at her side. She caught his keyblade with her sword and pushed him back.

Sora darted forward to start the next round of attacks when he saw something blue and shiny over Merida's shoulder and stopped mid step. The next second, Merida had knocked him down and had forced the keyblade out of his hand with her sword.

"Hah! I win."

Sora stood, dusting off his pants. "You sure did."

"What happened at the end there? You better not have let me win."

"Actually I thought I saw one of those willow things a second ago."

"Will-o'-the-wisps, lad."

"Right. It was over there."

Merida turned. Sora was pointing down a trail that led out of the clearing and into the woods.

A will-o'-the-wisp appeared under the tree. It whispered, beckoning. When Sora and Merida reached the tree, the wisp had vanished. It reappeared by a rock further up the trail. Sora and Merida followed it through the forest, until the air became thick and cold with mist and the wisp completely disappeared.

They slowed down, walking carefully through the silver fog. The trees lost their green luster the further they went in. Skeletal branches, broken logs, and the mangled remains of a ruin appeared through the mist. Sora took a step and then the ground under his foot melted. He tripped. In front of his eyes, the ground split open. He managed to regain his balance just in time to keep himself from falling into the hole in the floor.

Something looked up at him from down below.

Someone with silver hair and light, blue eyes.

Sora's heart skipped a beat. He looked down into the dark ruins. The person was gone.

"We shouldn't be here." Merida's voice trembled. "These ruins used to belong to Mor'du, the demon bear. Why would the wisps lead me here again? What more do I need to learn?"

Sora jumped down into the ruins. Merida called after him from above but he didn't listen. Summoning his keyblade, Sora stepped deeper into the large underground room. The walls were covered in deep claw marks. Broken weapons and shields littered the floor, and there was a turned over table against the wall.

Someone moved through the shadows. A boy stood in front of him, a boy that stretched out his hand as if to say, "come with me."

Sora rushed forward.

"Riku!"

The ground above him rumbled, the ceiling hissed as dust and rocks came lose. From above, Merida screamed. Sora looked around the room, casting a fire spell, lighting up his surroundings. He was alone.

Quickly he climbed back out of the hole and came to stand next to Merida. She was aiming her bow into the mist, ready to attack whatever was thundering toward them. A giant, black, something was coming through the mist.

Merida drew back her bowstring.

Then a horse jumped over a pile of ruins and skidded to a stop in front of Merida.

"Angus?"

The horse whinnied, stomping around in a circle.

"Whoa," Merida put up her hands, "easy there, Angus."

She put her hand on the horse's muzzle and looked into his distressed eyes.

"Something's wrong."

Merida pulled herself up onto the saddle and then reached down to grab Sora's hand.

He settled into the saddle behind her and then they were off, racing back through the mist and into the forest until Angus skidded to a stop in the middle of Merida's camp. He pounded the floor with his hoof as it to say it was their stop.

It didn't take long for Merida and Sora to realize what was wrong.

The entire camp was deserted.

* * *

_**Jiminy's Journal**_

Merida (First Appeared in Brave, 2012): A headstrong and free-spirited princess that loves the great outdoors, archery, and a good sparring match. She's curious about the will-o'-the-wisps and why they appeared before Sora.

King Fergus (First Appeared in Brave, 2012): The "Bear King" of Dunbroch. Like his daughter, he is loud and easygoing, though he tends to lose patience with his triplet sons whenever they cause trouble.

Hubert, Hamish, and Harris (First Appeared in Brave, 2012): Merida's triplet brothers. Wee devils with a knack for stealing jelly tarts and getting into all sorts of trouble.

Angus (First Appeared in Brave, 2012): Angus is a powerful shire horse who serves as Merida's loyal companion and best friend. He went after Merida because he sensed danger, but what could have spooked him?

Will-o'-the-wisps (First Appeared in Brave, 2012): Blue, spiritual, ethereal beings that represent past lives. The legends say that they lead people to their destinies, so why do they keep appearing in front of Sora?


	12. Chapter 11: The Vanished

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy or any of the Disney/Square Enix characters that appear in this work. Please support the original releases.

* * *

_**Chapter 11: The Vanished** _

* * *

Skin crawling silence filled the space where there was once lively chatter, barking dogs, and the clangs of swords and arrows hitting their targets. Angus hooves echoed as they rode through the camp, staring at the steaming plates of food, the forgotten armor, and all the fallen weapons on the floor.

There was no rips in the tents. The grass was unmarked by the glittery residue left by magic. Sora searched for weapon or claw marks, but there was nothing, no clue. It was as though the people, the horses and the dogs just decided to leave everything behind and go.

Merida called for her father and brothers while Sora searched for Donald and Goofy. Only the rustling and chirps of the forest responded. Dread rattled like rocks in Sora's stomach.

His keyblade appeared in his hand.

He got into a fighting stance, waiting for the inevitable sizzle that tingled in the air seconds before heartless would appear.

Merida saw his weapon, and set an arrow on her bow. Angus pulled back his ears. A breeze went over the grass, caressing Sora's face, sending a chill down his neck.

Nothing happened.

Merida put down her bow, and gave Sora an impatient look.

"What are we waiting for?"

"That's strange. Usually, I'd get attacked by heartless the second something weird happens."

"Heartless? What are ya talkin' about?"

"They're dark creatures that go after people's hearts."

"I don't like the sound of that, lad. You think these monsters got rid of everyone here?"

"Maybe."

Merida narrowed her eyes. "Maybe? That's all ya got?"

"Well, usually they attack me everywhere I go and every chance they get, but here, it's just quiet."

Merida whistled and Angus lurched forward.

"We won't get any answers just standing round here. Let's search the area."

After an hour of galloping through the surrounding forest there was no sign of Merida's family, her father's men, or Donald and Goofy. Merida back to the circle of stones where she had met Sora for the first time.

There, she inspected the stones. While she was distracted, Sora snuck off to the Castle Oblivion door. Maybe Donald and Goofy had gone back. He couldn't think of any reason why the two of them would willingly leave him behind, but he felt the need to check regardless.

The door was gone.

Sora looked around the clearing, and even tried summoning the door with his keyblade, but there was no response from his weapon. He felt his worries twisting in his throat. He tried to swallow them down, but his heart wouldn't be quiet.

A will-o-the-wisp appeared in the space where the door had been. It whispered and then zipped away.

Sora followed the blue spec. It led him back to the stone circle, back to Merida, but it didn't vanish.

The wisp flickered.

It stretched, growing taller and wider.

Angus slammed his hoof on the ground, disturbed.

The wisp morphed from a blob into the shape of a boy. A boy with shoulder length, spiky hair. Sora's heart beat even faster.

"Riku."

The blue light of the wisp blinked out.

"Wait!"

Sora ran around the rocks, searching, but it was no use. The wisp was gone and all that was left in his head were questions. Merida grabbed his shoulder and turned him around.

"What was that?"

"That wisp. He looked like my friend. What does that mean? What was it trying to tell me?"

"I don't know, Sora. Wisps are a mysterious thing."

"Do you think they're responsible for everyone's disappearance too?"

Merida's brows came together in a frown. "I don't think wisps are dangerous. Maybe everyone in the camp went back to the castle in a rush."

"They went back to the castle and just left all their things behind?"

"Maybe it was an emergency? It makes more sense then people just disappearing. Ach! More questions. I'm just as confused as you."

"So what do we do?"

"We're going back to the castle." Merida grimaced. "We're going to talk to my mum."

* * *

They were sitting, side by side, watching the sun set. Riku was leaning against the paopu tree with his arms crossed, talking about seeing other worlds. Sora was lying back lazily on the tree's curved trunk, relaxing his head on his hands, looking forward to tomorrow. Kairi watched the sunset, feeling the breeze and the warmth of being with her two best friends.

Yet, she was afraid.

"_Say Kairi, what was your home like. You know, where you grew up?" _

What if she had told Sora the truth?

"_I told you before. I don't remember." _

But what could she have even said to him? The dark memories of her past would have ruined their search for other worlds.

"_Nothing at all?" _

_ "Nothing." _

That was a lie. She did remember something. Before she came to Destiny Islands, there was one memory. How could she have told her friends about the night her home decayed from a black disease that tore hearts out of people, the warnings in her grandmother's fairytales and the fear that she might have been the only person that had survived.

But she should have told them. Maybe then they would have been more careful. Or would it have mattered? Would the three of them still be apart? Was that how things were always going to be? Separated from the people she cared about most?

Kairi swam in a bright void until her feet touched something cool. Silver doves appeared out of the whiteness, fluttering for a moment before once again vanishing out into the bright nothing beyond. Light glittered below her feet. Looking down, she saw the image of Destiny Islands on a stained glass platform. In the picture, she sat with her friends on the paopu tree, watching the sun set. On the other side, opposite the picture of the sunset, there was an image of a girl, a dog, and a rabbit facing the darkness together.

Which was the right path to take? Was it to chase after old friendships or new ones? She leaned down to get a closer look at the two images.

The glass below her swayed back and forth.

The platform slanted diagonally, the ground curving upward below her feet. She ran, her shoes sliding on the glass, and her body tumbling forward. Her hands pressed against the smooth surface, her fingertips burning as she slid downward. Kairi pushed with her legs, and managed to get her fingers around the edge of the platform. Her feet hung over the white nothing below, and yet the platform kept tipping forward like a sinking ship. A few more seconds and there would be nothing left to hold on to.

The white world around her began to shift, getting darker and darker until it was completely black. Words without a voice echoed around her. Her ears didn't tingle with sound, her eyes didn't see the letters, but she knew them in her heart as though they had always been there.

_ The closer you get to the darkness, the stronger your light must be in order to pierce through it. _

The platform tipped too far and Kairi's fingers slipped from the smooth edge. She fell into the abyss, down and down in endless darkness until the blackness shifted again into grey and then into a white so blinding that her eyes stung.

Kairi sat up.

The white world around her slowly faded as more colors appeared. Blurry shapes came into focus and slowly, the dream faded from her mind. She was in a pink bed. Her legs were tangled in silk bedsheets, and she wasn't alone.

Something stood next to her.

Kairi kicked the blankets, skittered toward the edge of bed, and crashed onto the floor with her feet still on the mattress. There was a sweeping noise. Her surprise overruled the pounding in her head and she jumped to her feet, moving backward, away from the thing that was creeping closer and closer.

"Brooms don't move," she whispered, "this is a dream. Right. A dream. Brooms don't move and they definitely don't have arms to hold a tray full of...pancakes?"

The broom didn't seem offended by her surprise. It simply bowed and extended the tray in its hands, as if to say, "please eat."

Slowly, as though making a false move could send the broom into a sweeping frenzy, she took the tray. Before she could think to say thanks, the broom turned around and walked out the door.

Kairi sat on the bed, staring at the white door the broom had walked through for a full minute before the temptation, and her stomach, made her finally look at her breakfast.

A plate with three pancakes. They were arranged in the same mouse-shaped symbol that had been on the letter Pluto had given her on the Destiny Islands. There was also a silver cloche. Kairi lifted the cloche, and saw a plate of steaming eggs and bacon underneath. The three sunny side up eggs were also arranged in a mouse shape.

Her stomach rumbled and in the next five minutes she had devoured her food so fast that her throat was dry from thirst. As if summoned by her thoughts, the door opened and the broom came back in with another tray. This one had a cute, pink teapot, teacup, a bowl of sugar and a glass of milk.

A duck came into the room behind the broom. She walked with a noble's grace, her hands folded daintily in front of her lavender gown. Delight danced in her blue eyes and a moment later, her beak curved into a smile.

"Oh, you're awake. Thank goodness." She waved at the broom. "Would you please go get me a teacup as well?"

The broom put down the tea tray, picked up Kairi's used breakfast tray, saluted the duck with one arm, and then swept out of the room. Moving around to the side of Kairi's bed, the duck picked up the teapot and poured green liquid into the cup. She handed the cup and saucer to Kairi.

The herbal steam of the tea warmed her hands and face.

"Sugar dear?"

"Yes, thank you."

While Kairi spooned three heaping teaspoons of sugar into her tea, the broom returned and handed the duck the teacup she had requested. Its chore done, the broom promptly left. Once they were alone again, Kairi cleared her throat.

"Don't know how I got here, but thank you for the breakfast and the tea. My name's Kairi, by the way."

"I am Duchess Daisy Duck. A pleasure."

"You remind me of Donald. Do you know him?"

"Oh?" Daisy's eyes narrowed as she took a sip of her tea. "You've met that good for nothing, have you?"

"Well, I sort of met him, it's more like-"

Daisy slammer her tea cup against its saucer. "That big, dumb buffoon! He hasn't sent me a single letter since he left on his mission! If the king can send Her Majesty letters then so can he. Here I am, worried sick and he-"

She looked sharply at Kairi.

"Wait, how do you know about Donald? You're from another world. That must mean that you met him during his mission."

"Technically I know him and Goofy through my friend Sora. He has the keyblade and-"

Daisy almost spilled her tea.

"Do you mean the key that the king mentioned? What happened to Donald? And Goofy? Are they all right? Did they accomplish their mission?"

"I think so. I haven't seen them since my world was brought back and-"

Daisy grabbed Kairi's wrist. "You must meet with Queen Minnie. There is no time to waste. Come with me."

Kairi stumbled out of the bed after Daisy, spilling her tea onto the floor. For such a small duck, Daisy was shockingly fast. She pulled Kairi through a pearly white castle so quickly that Kairi head spun. They exited out into a topiary garden. The hedges were perfectly trimmed and the entire garden looked like an orchestra of dogs, pigs and cows playing trumpets, horns, drums and cymbals.

At the center of the garden was a yellow, purple, and blue flowerbed. A topiary castle, the size of a small cottage, sat in the center of the flowerbed. Sitting next to the castle, sipping tea from atop a crystal table, was a regal mouse in a pink gown. Across from the mouse was a young woman, wearing a flowered hat.

Completely ignoring the other woman, Daisy dragged Kairi to the mouse in pink.

"Majesty Minnie, I have very important news."

The mouse's long lashes rose up into her forehead. "Daisy dear, now is not the best time to, oh! She's awake."

Kairi tried to bow politely to the queen, but before she even got the chance, the other woman stood quickly.

"Ah yes! Majesty Minnie, I know exactly when I felt the need to visit here today."

"Oh? And what could that be, Mary?"

"It's because of this girl."

* * *

Sora leaned over the side of Angus' saddle to look at the stream under the stone bridge. Down below, people were lugging barrels full of water from the stream up the toward a door that was hidden into the side of the hill.

Across the bridge, Merida's castle stood tall on a cliff that overlooked a scenic, perfectly still lake. The hearty stone of the castle felt strong and ancient, blending perfectly with the rich, green mountains in the distance.

When they entered through the gates, Sora didn't know what to look at first. Stablehands were busy brushing, cleaning and feeding the horses, maids rushed to and fro with basketfuls of laundry and food for the kitchen, chickens clucked all over the courtyard, servants laughed with guards at their posts and Merida just rode through it all without a second glance.

She took Angus to his stall at the stable, grabbed Sora's hand and led him through the castle's doors into a stone audience hall. Sora was still too busy looking around to notice Merida run up to a woman sitting in one of the three thrones.

"Mum! We have a problem."

The woman gave Merida a surprised look, but quickly smoothed her features into a professional mask.

"Ahem, we have a guest," she pointed at Sora.

Merida waved her arms. "He's with me, mum. Listen, Dad, Hubert, Hamish and Harris-"

"Merida, it's rude to speak without including others."

"Mum! This is important."

"So are manners."

Merida groaned. "Fine. Sora, this is my mother, Queen Elinor."

Sora bowed.

Elinor nodded reverently at Sora and he couldn't help staring at the emerald green gem in the center of her crown.

"Your Majesty," Sora began, "we might need your help."

Merida launched into a desperate explanation of what had happened. Elinor quirked an eyebrow at her daughter's sudden return to impolite behavior, but listened patiently to the story. By the time Merida was finished, Elinor put a hand over her mouth and chin, making her look both worried and deep in thought at the same time.

"The boys, well, have a knack for getting into trouble, but it's unlike Fergus and the men to just leave you behind. You say you've been seeing more wisps lately?"

Merida nodded.

With her hands folded in front of her emerald gown, Elinor glided out of the throne room. Sora and Merida followed her up the steps to the second floor of the castle and entered a small library. Elinor stopped in front of a bookcase full of letters and scrolls. She reached into the many rolls of paper and pulled out a book that looked as though it could crumble into dust if someone so much as breathed on it.

Elinor turned the yellowed pages until she came upon a picture of a wisp. She slide her finger over the writing on the next page and began to read.

_"Will-o-the-wisps are nothing more then children stories. They are small, quiet and shy creatures that guide the lost and lead people to their destinies. Sometimes they grant wishes, and other times they teach harsh lessons. The wisps can be just as mischievous as they are playful. They're said to be attracted to light and laughter."_

Elinor stopped reading and looked up toward the ceiling.

"That's all?" Merida huffed.

"Fairy tales exist because the story is so old that a lot of information is lost. And sometimes, it's better not to know the whole story." Elinor gave Merida a stern look. "Now is a good chance for you to practice being a proper princess."

"Ugh, mum."

"You're going to call in the soldiers and command a large scale search for the will-o-the-wisps."

"Why bother when I could just go to the forest and investigate myself? I'm much faster then a battalion of brutes."

Elinor drew a sharp breathe, annoyance tightening on her face. Then she relaxed and exhaled slowly. "I don't want you to vanish like your father and brothers. I'm only worried."

Merida's frown vanished. "Right, I'll be careful, mum, I promise."

"Don't worry," Sora interjected, "I can make sure she's safe. I'm sort of, um, experienced in handling monsters. If there's something out there to worry about, I can handle it."

Merida lightly punched Sora's shoulder.

"I can take care of myself, ya know."

"Then let's just say I got your back."

Merida grinned. "Please mum? This is something I can do, something I can learn from experience. We promised to try things my way sometimes."

Elinor looked from Merida to Sora. Her face was stony, authoritative. Then she closed her eyes.

"Promise that you will report to me at the first sign of trouble. And, young man, please watch out for my rowdy girl."

Merida jumped around in a circle. Then she attack-hugged her mother singing, "thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Elinor stiffened like a pole when Merida pinned her arms to her sides, but then she melted and carefully patted her girl's messy hair. A moment later, she cleared her throat and Merida let go.

"I think I may have something to produce the light the book speaks about. Follow me."

Elinor led Sora and Merida to a storage room. The small space was bustling with craftsman organizing, sending out materials, and carefully balancing wooden boxes one on top of the other. The second the servants spotted Elinor, they stopped what they were doing, stood up straight and cleared their throats.

"Hello, gentlemen," Elinor greeted, "has the delivery for Merida's room come yet?"

"Yes, Majesty," one of the craftsman said.

He gave Elinor a parcel wrapped in brown paper.

"A delivery for my room? Mum, what is it?"

Elinor thanked the craftsman and then cautiously unwrapped the paper. Inside was a rainbow disk of stained glass. The disk which was as thick as a textbook.

"You broke your window glass when you were trying to save me from staying a bear forever," Elinor said.

Sora blinked at Merida. "Did she say bear?"

Merida's cheeks turned the same color as her hair, making her look like an overgrown tomato on a dry vine.

"It's a long story." She waved her hand. "Anyway, my window has already been fixed so why the glass?"

"I thought it would be nice to change it a bit, so I ordered some stained glass. It was supposed to be a surprise, but there are more important things to worry about now."

Elinor moved out of the storage room. Merida and Sora followed her to the courtyard, where she lifted the glass up to the sun. Colorful raindrops of green, blue, red, orange, purple, and yellow light glittered over Elinor's dress and onto the ground.

"Wow," Sora whistled.

Elinor produced a drawstring bag and put the stained glass inside.

"Use this to try and lure out the wisps. Please be careful."

Merida carefully tied the bag around her belt. "I will mum. I'll be back with Dad and the boys before your know it."

* * *

Merida raised the rainbow disk to a streak of sunlight that poked through the treetops. The stained glass casted glittering shadows over the forest floor.

Angus trotted easily over fallen logs and boulders, his ears up and relaxed. Sora watched the specs of light dance over the grass and leaves. He kept an eye out for any blue wisps, but the longer they trotted in silence, the more he felt his mind wandering.

He worried about Donald and Goofy, and questioned why the wisp had taken Riku's shape. Maybe Donald and Goofy had seen the wisp too and had gone after it. But again, Sora didn't believe they would leave him behind.

They stuck together. All for one and one for all, like they promised. Donald and Goofy wouldn't just pull a disappearing act, not without telling Sora first. They would have at least left Jiminy behind to convey a message.

"Sora," Merida whispered, "do you see that?"

Straight ahead, a wisp was floating above the green shadow cast by the glass. Merida pulled Angus to a stop. Carefully, she and Sora slid off the horse's saddle. Merida took the reigns and led Angus to a nearby tree.

"Stay here."

Angus didn't seem too eager to follow. He bent his head down and began to graze while Merida and Sora tiptoed closer to the wisp. Singing, the wisp drifted over the ground, guiding them deeper into the forest until the trees began to lose their leaves, and the air became white with fog.

Merida placed an arrow on her bow. She slowed down her movements, stepping over rubble and fallen logs. A lonely monolith appeared out of the grey void. Sora and Merida walked up broken, stone steps toward it.

A pair of axes were carved onto the monolith.

Merida traced the axes with her finger. "Mor'du's castle."

"Mor'du?"

"The demon bear," Merida explained. "He was once a prince, but his hunger for power made him into a monster. He's the reason my dad has a peg leg."

"Whoa. What happened to the bear?"

"My mum took him down."

"You _mom_ did that to a demon bear?"

Merida winked.

"So you don't just get your strength just from your dad then."

"Nope. Don't tell her I said this, but mum is very brave. The wisps brought my mum and me here last time. If it weren't for her, I would've been Mor'du's lunch."

They walked deeper into the ruins. The stones were scarred by deep claw marks. Parts of the ancient castle had crumbed into heaps of rubble. An eerie wind whispered from the ruins. Merida rubbed her arms.

"Why do the wisps keep bringing us here?"

Sora walked around a crooked pillar. There was a hole in the floor. He tapped his feet. The ground was hollow. He looked down at the base of the pillar and saw that there was an opening big enough for him to squeeze through.

"Over here."

Looking inside the hole, Sora saw the remains of a throne room. Rotting chairs, piles of rocks, stone walls that looked as though they were as unstable as dominoes, told him that the room below had been abandoned for a long time.

Sora and Merida jumped in.

When Sora landed, the room rumbled. Dust and dirt rained from the ceiling.

Sora felt eyes on his back.

He turned.

A blue ghost stood behind him.

The ghost of Riku.

The ghost smiled and outstretched his hand again.

It walked backward into the darkness on the other side of the throne room.

"No, wait!"

Sora ran into the darkness, ignoring Merida's calls. He leapt into the shadows of the throne room, raced through a long, stone tunnel and then found himself back outside.

The Riku lookalike stopped in front of the monolith, and by the time Sora caught up to it, the spectre had vanished.

The cobblestones under Sora's feet shivered, blue fireflies shined in the crevices between the stones. The fireflies rose up from the ground, gathering into a ball right in front of Sora's eyes. The ball got bigger and darker, morphing from shiny blue to a shimmering purple and then black.

A thick arm appeared out of the blob of darkness. It reached out, ready to claw Sora across the face. An arrow sunk into the arm, making it pause. Then the arrow sank into the black creature's body.

A hand clamped around Sora's wrist. Merida tugged him away from the smoking, black creature.

"Don't just stand there! Run!"

The black ball melted, spilling into the ground. It roared after them like a toxic tidal wave.

Sora threw his keyblade at it, but the dark tide kept advancing. Summoning his keyblade back, he tried attacking with fire magic, then ice, then lightning. The magic simply faded into the black water .

Merida and Sora jumped over the debris of the old castle. Behind them, the dry, dead trees crackled and snapped as the darkness ripped through the ruins in pursuit.

The mist cleared, revealing a cliff just a few feet ahead. Sora and Merida skidded to a stop, their toes just barely over the edge. Down below, harsh waves crashed into the sharp rocks of a river and right behind them, the black ooze was slowly creeping up.

Merida pointed.

"The disk!"

The stained glass had fallen out of her pocket when she had rushed to stop. She reached out and grabbed it seconds before the dark sludge covered the ground where it had been.

Stuck between a cliff and the ooze, Sora and Merida shot magic and arrows at the sludge, but it was no use. The ooze was almost to their feet.

Desperate, Merida waved her arm. The stained glass in her hand caught the sunlight. The ooze shivered. It stopped in front of the little yellow spec of light that was reflecting from the glass.

Noticing this, Merida held the glass up. The light reflected on the trees just beyond the ooze. The black sludge shifted, as though turning.

Sora watched the sludge chase after the light like a cat trying to catch a firefly. His keyblade hummed in his hand. Lifting it, he aimed the tip of his keyblade at the glass.

A razor sharp beam of light exploded out of the disk. The muscles in Sora's arm tightened and Merida could barely keep the glass steady. The beam flew all around, completely out of control. Is seared the black liquid, the trees, and even dug into the stone floor beneath them.

The ooze recoiled.

It moved back, deeper and deeper into the trees.

Slowly, Sora and Merida moved away from the cliff, directing the beam further into the mist.

The sludge fled into the fog. Gone. Sora's arm was throbbing. He released his keyblade and fell on his hands and knees, gasping for breathe. Merida collapsed against a tree and closed her eyes.

"My shootin' arm feels like it's going to fall off."

"Yeah," Sora coughed, "making that beam takes a lot out of me."

"Talk about luck. Ugh. I need some water."

Merida and Sora went back to Angus and the horse easily led them to a stream in the middle of the forest. After drinking their fill, Sora helped Merida build a fire. She used her archery skills to catch a few fish. Once Sora's belly was full, he stared into the stream.

"I'm sorry Merida."

"What for?"

"For letting my guard down. I was so desperate to try and catch that wisp, the one that looks like my friend. We almost got splattered because of me."

"Don't worry so much about it."

"But, it wasn't the right choice. Your dad and brothers are gone. Donald, Jiminy, and Goofy are gone, but all I can think about is Riku."

"Aw, wee lamb. Quit your moping."

She thumped Sora so hard on the back that he fell, face first into the stream. Spluttering out of the water, Sora spotted Merida on the ground, kicking her feet and snorting with laughter.

"Oh yeah?"

Sora summoned his keyblade and hurled a mini tidal wave at Merida.

The water slapped her in the face, flattening her puffy hair. She stared at Sora with a confused look for two seconds before she jumped into the stream next to him. And then the two of them were throwing around so much water that Sora's hands got wrinkly.

"All right, you win!"

Sora panted, shaking water off his hair.

Merida stretched. "Well I feel better, don't you?"

"Yeah. I don't have time to worrying. We've got to get our friends back."

"Right. And now we know that that dark creature is weak to light. Time to set a trap."

* * *

Sora leaned back to admire his work. He had to hand it to Merida: the girl sure knew how to make a trap. They had returned to the ruins. Carefully, Merida and Sora had hidden mirrors and pieces of glass in the floor, between cracks in the rubble and in the trees. The reflective surfaces sparkled, even in the mist. Now they just needed to lure the ooze into it.

Merida closed an eye and pointed. "I think we've got the angles just right. Now we have to hit the right mirror and we've got an instant light storm."

She climbed one of the trees and placed the stained glass disk between the branches. Jumping back down onto the ground, Merida waved at Sora.

"Ready to go hunting?"

Sora grinned. Raising his keyblade in the air, he chanted. "Thunder!"

Lightning rained down from the sky. The mist parted and beams of sunlight sprinkled over the ruins. Artificial fireflies glowed all over the ruins. Sora and Merida ducked behind a fallen pillar and waited for the black sludge to appear.

And they waited. And waited. And waited. Almost two hours later, Merida was yawning and Sora had sunk down so low against the rock, he was practically lying down. He turned onto his knees, and peeked over the pillar.

The Riku lookalike stood in the middle of their trap.

It turned to where Merida and Sora were hiding and shook its head.

Merida leaned in to whisper. "Is your friend trying to tell us something?"

The lookalike vanished.

There was a thunderous stomping that was getting louder. Merida readied her bow, Sora summoned his keyblade. They kept their eyes on the ruins, searching for the black sludge.

But the vibration wasn't coming from the ruins. It was coming from behind. A horse galloped out of the mist and into the sunlight. It skid to a stop, neighing angrily at its rider and tapping its hoof on the ground. The rider's face was as red as his hair. He fell off the horse, right at Merida's feet. Merida turned him over and Sora recognized the rider's guard uniform. He had seen it back at the castle.

The man on the floor could barely breathe.

Without missing a beat, Sora raised his keyblade and chanted a healing spell. The rejuvenating magic flowers gave the man back his energy. He sat back up with a gasp and grabbed Merida's shoulder.

"Princess, you have to come back to the castle immediately! We're under attack!"

* * *

_**Jiminy's Journal**_

Queen Elinor (First Appeared in Brave, 2012): Queen Elinor is ladylike and strict, leading her people as both a diplomat and paragon of elegance. She can be stubborn like her daughter, which leads the two of them to argue at times. Despite this, Elinor loves Merida very much and does soften a bit when she compromises with her.

Daisy Duck (First Appeared in Mr. Duck Steps Out, 1940): Duchess of Disney castle. Daisy is Queen Minnie's lady in waiting and best friend. She can be a bit single-minded and spoiled, but Daisy is also loyal to her queen and castle. She worries for Donald's safety, though she won't admit it.

The Brooms (First Appeared in Fantasia, 1940): Enchanted brooms that serve as Disney Castle's servants and guards.


	13. Chapter 12: Light Lessons

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy or any of the Disney/Square Enix characters that appear in this work. Please support the original releases.

* * *

**_Chapter 12: Light Lessons_**

* * *

"Now hold still, please."

Mary stretched a long ribbon of measuring tape from the top of Kairi's head to her feet.

Holding up the tape, Mary looked at the result. "Just as I expected. 'Determined yet surprisingly lazy.'"

"What?" Kairi snorted. "Let me see that."

"As you wish."

Kairi took the tape from Mary and held it up above her eyes. Right there, in bold print, the tape indeed said that she was determined and lazy. Unable to resist, Kairi tried measuring Mary. The older woman stood completely still as Kairi measured her from the bottom of her polished, black boots to the neat bun of dark-brown hair at the top of her head.

Kairi read the results to herself.

"Mary Poppins. Practically perfect in ever way."

Kairi stared. Mary's smile was full of secrets. She took the tape measure back with a quick "thank you" and tucked it into her pocket.

"Now then." Mary clapped her hands, "shall we begin?"

"Begin what?"

"Your magic lessons of course."

"What? Magic lessons?"

"Yes, dear. That's the reason that you are here."

"But, I thought-Daisy said I needed to talk to the queen."

"Ah. Of course. Majesty Minnie," Mary called.

By this time, Daisy had taken Mary's vacant seat at the garden table. The queen, Minnie, her pinky raised, was sipping tea across from Daisy. The pair of them looked as though they were having an ideal Sunday afternoon.

Queen Minnie looked from Kairi to Mary and giggled. Daisy pressed the back of her hand on her forehead and let out an exhausted sigh.

"Oh go ahead," she huffed. "I'll tell Her Majesty everything. Why don't you two come back after your magic lesson?"

"Yes," Minnie added, "we'll meet after the lesson is over."

Mary Poppins bowed. "Thank you, Majesty. Come along now, Kairi."

"How did you know my name?"

"Spit spot. No time to waste."

"But-"

Mary pointed to the topiary garden. "Let us leave Her Majesty to finish her tea. We have much to do."

Kairi felt like a toddler that was easily handled by an experienced granny. Except Mary wasn't anything at all like a granny. She had fair, smooth skin, with rosy cheeks. Tall, with perfect posture, wearing a navy-blue dress with a red bowtie, and yet she still walked with a spring in her step.

They stood in the flower bed between the topiary castle and the surrounding orchestra. It was then that Kairi noticed the purse that Mary was holding in her hand.

"That's a nice bag."

"Carpet," said Mary.

"The bag is a carpet?"

"No, made of."

Mary opened the carpet-bag and pulled out a long, black umbrella with a green and blue, parrot-shaped handle. This wouldn't have surprised Kairi so much, if it weren't for the fact that the umbrella was much longer then the bag was deep.

She inched closer and looked into the bag, but saw that its insides were completely normal, and empty. A moment later, Mary bent down onto the ground and the bag swallowed her arm up to the shoulder. She rummaged around as though she were sticking her arm into a deep hole.

"Now where did I put that silly stick. I know it's in here somewhere."

She pulled out a wooden stool and laid it on the grass.

"Wow!"

Kairi measured the stool. It was tall as her hip. Either Mary was a magician or her bag was a black hole.

"How are you doing that?"

Mary blinked at Kairi. "Whatever do you mean?"

"How are you getting all those big things from that tiny bag?"

"I'm afraid I don't know what you are talking about. Ah! Here it is!"

Mary straightened. In her hand was a conducting baton. She placed the carpet bag on the wooden stool and then faced Kairi with a wink.

"Now then. I assume you know some magic."

"I know one spell."

"That will do for now."

Mary waved the conductor's baton. Kairi yelped, covering her ears. The entire topiary garden erupted with a swelling crescendo. The cows, dogs and pigs were no longer frozen in time. They played their instruments to the beat of Mary's conducting.

The music slowed, becoming quiet for a moment. Mary spoke over the hum.

"Now then. Show me what you can do. And don't fret too much, please. There's no danger to be had from a garden."

Before Kairi could say "huh" the nearest topiary animal launched itself at her. She jumped back and then felt the ground pounding below her feet. A green, bushy dog was stomping toward her with its horn blasting air at her face. The base tones of the horn were like a hammer pounding on Kairi's head.

She looked at Mary, her eyes full of questions, only to see Ms. Poppins happily conducting away without even looking at the animals.

So that was how Mary wanted to play.

"All right. I'll just have to rain on her parade."

Kairi charged toward the topiary dog with the horn. She raised her arm and shouted.

"Water!"

A blast of liquid slammed into the horn, drowning out the sound. The topiary dog turned the horn over to inspect it. While it was distracted, Kairi threw another water spell at its bushy feet. The dog slipped.

There was a crash.

Strange.

Rather then coming from the dog, Kairi felt a crash booming behind her.

She covered her ears, her teeth grinding together. Turning around, she was too slow to dodge the topiary pig that was charging at her. The pig spread its arms wide and then caught her between its cymbals. Kairi grunted as the leaves and branches pressed into her face and back.

"Now that's quite enough," came Mary's calm yet commanding voice.

The topiary pig pulled the cymbals apart, freeing Kairi. She landed back on her feet just Mary came to stand next to her, waving the conducting baton at each decorative bush.

"Back to your places, please."

All the topiary animals went back to their original spots and stopped moving. Mary threw the conducting baton over her shoulder and it flew right into the open mouth of the carpet bag. Minnie and Daisy applauded from their tea table.

"A good effort, Kairi."

Mary raised her black umbrella. A green powderpuff of flowers explored from the tip. The petals rained down on Kairi. She felt lighter. Her bruises vanished, and the leaves and twigs fell away her clothes and hair.

"You have talent. I'm sure you'll find my lessons quite diverting."

Kairi blushed. For some reason, being complimented by Mary made her feel like a kindergardener being praised for answering a trick question. If only Sora and Riku were there. The whole scene would have been perfect with the two of them causing trouble while Kairi watched and waited for the inevitable scolding.

"I must be off," Mary said.

"What? I thought you were going to teach me magic."

"Exactly. To do so I must go and get some proper materials. See you soon."

Mary reached into her carpet bag, took out her flowered hat and then opened her black umbrella. She raised the umbrella into the air, and just like that, her feet left the ground. Kairi watched as Mary hovered for a moment before a blast of wind came right out of nowhere and nearly blew her away. Struggling to stay standing, Kairi watched as Mary flew up and up, out of the topiary garden, and out of sight.

The moment she was gone, the wind died down.

"Quite the delight, isn't she?"

Kairi turned. Queen Minnie had finished her tea and had come to stand beside her. Kairi curtsied.

"No need for that, dear. That was quite a show. You certainly have some magic."

"Thank you. Um, pardon me, but where did Mary go?"

"Oh, she comes and goes as she pleases."

"How?"

Queen Minnie put her palm on her chin. "Well, I'm not quite sure. Perhaps it has something to do with her umbrella. But we'll speak about Mary later. I wish to know about this news Daisy told me about. Come, let's go to the library."

* * *

From the outside, Merida's castle looked completely normal. It wasn't until they passed through the gates that Sora realized what was missing. The chatter, the movement, the people, were all gone.

"It's just like the camp," Sora said.

Merida jumped off Angus' back. The guard that had accompanied them ran ahead of her, his sword raised.

"Stay back princess, it could be back any second."

Merida pushed him aside. "No time for that now. Where's Queen Elinor?"

"The guards took her down to the kitchens where she would be safe."

Merida ran into the audience room. All that was left of the castle doors were the splinters that were splattered all over the floor. The entire room smelled of smoke. The sconces, chandeliers, and candle holders along the walls had been ripped out and thrown down, covering the floor with wax.

Merida and Sora walked, back to back, weapons raised, with the guard trailing close behind. When nothing jumped out at them from the corners of the room, Merida raced through the castle and down the stone steps to the kitchen.

From the outside, barrels, boxes and anything heavy were thrown in front of the kitchen door. Sora and the guard helped Merida push aside the junk, leaving a small space for Merida to squeeze through.

She banged on the kitchen door.

"It's Merida! Let me in!"

There was a chorus of grunts from inside the kitchen. The door was pulled open from the other side and Elinor squeezed through the few remaining guards and servants. She threw her arms around Merida.

"I'm so glad you're safe."

"Mum, what happened?"

Sora felt a tingling on his back. When he turned around to look down the hall, cold sweat rose up on his neck. "Merida, we have a very big problem!"

Elinor's face became so pale that she looked like a porcelain doll. Merida turned. Down the hallway, the sludge she had fought in the forest was oozing toward them like a dark flood.

"Majesty, get back!"

The guards inside reached out, grabbed Merida and Elinor and shoved them into kitchen with the servants. They lined up with Sora, their swords being freed from their belts.

In the kitchen, Merida tried to join the fight, but was pulled back by Elinor.

"I already lost your father and the boys. I can't lose you too."

"Mum, I have to help!"

The ooze was inching ever closer to Sora and the guards. He raised his keyblade and sent a blast of light toward it. The ooze shivered. It began to slush faster through the narrow hall. Sora tried hitting it again with another blast of light, but it was throwing matches in a blizzard.

"The light's not strong enough. We need the glass."

The guards roared. Pointing their swords at the sludge, they charged.

"Wait!" Sora called.

But it was already too late.

The first guard reached the ooze and stabbed his sword into it. Back tentacles spread out from the sludge, wrapping around the sword and the guard's wrist. The black sludge crept up the guard's arm, covering his chest, his neck, his face, and his screams. Then the guard was gone, and the sludge expanded.

The next few guards hesitated.

One of them turned and pointed to Sora and then to the kitchens.

"Protect the queen and the civilians."

"But-"

"Go! If it catches them, all of our sacrifice will be for nothing! There's a hidden door in the kitchen. Use it to escape while we keep this thing busy!"

"I can't just leave you guys!"

"We're soldiers! We protect the weak! That's our job! GO!"

Sora ran back into the kitchens and slammed the door behind him.

"We need to get everyone out," he told Merida.

The servants busied themselves with clearing a space on the floor. They opened a hidden trap door. One by one, Merida and Sora helped herd the people inside, all the while ignoring the sound of screams and clangs coming from the hallway.

Elinor slipped into the secret tunnel and Merida followed her. Sora was just about to jump down to join them, when he heard a terrible crunch. Looking over his shoulder he saw the kitchen door crack right down the middle. The crack branched out like a tree, spreading through the wood. The ooze was dripping in through the fissures.

Sora jumped into the tunnel, threw the door shut over his head. He raised his keyblade. A lock appeared overhead. Light passed through the keyblade and the trapdoor disappeared above him.

"Sora!" Merida called from further up the tunnel. "Hurry!"

They raced to catch up with the servants and the queen. The people huddled together under the flickering torchlight. They moved, single file, through the moist earth and stone until they came to another door. Pushing it open, the servants spilled out into the light.

Sora came out last. Ahead of them was a river, and above was the bridge that lead to the castle. They were down below in the ravine.

And above them, the sludge was rolling out of the castle and out to the bridge. It dripped over the side.

The servants screamed.

"Run!"

They scattered.

The ooze feel, splattering on the ground. Pieces of the dark liquid flew in every direction. Merida and Sora threw themselves on the ground to avoid getting hit. A servant jumped in front of Elinor, and the black ooze wrapped around him like a rope.

The puddles of ooze began to move, reattaching to each other. As the ooze coalesced, it was pulling all the servants that had been unlucky enough to be touched by it.

Merida reached out and grabbed the one of the servant's hands, but the servant struggled, making Merida let go. Another servant pushed Merida back and was caught in her place when his stepped into a small puddle of the black goo.

Sora roared, throwing a fire spell, charing the ooze.

Someone slammed into him, pushing him into the river. Just as Sora splashed into the water, he saw the last remaining servant get caught in the sludge.

"Forget about us," the servant begged, "just run!"

The ooze took him over.

Elinor grabbed Merida's arm. She raced across the river with her daughter and began stumbling up the hill on the other side. Sora threw another light spell at the sludge before he turned and followed Merida and Elinor.

Just as he was over the hill, he crashed into the foliage of the forest. He lay on his back, gasping. Nearby, Merida leaned against a boulder. Elinor hunched over, her fists clutching her tattered emerald skirts.

"Are you guys okay?" Sora panted.

"I will be as soon as I figure out how to destroy that gooey monster," Merida snapped between breaths.

Cracking and snapping crept through the forest. Sora's legs shook. Merida and Elinor's horrified expressions turned into screams.

Long, black tendrils speared through the trees.

"Merida! Look out!"

Elinor pushed her daughter away from the bolder. Merida fell to the ground, and just in time. A tentacle of ooze sliced right through the rock she had just been leaning agaisnt. Another tentacle looped through the trees. It caught Eleanor's arm and began to pull.

"No! Mum!"

Merida sent arrows into the black ooze, but her shots simply melted into the sludge. She wrapped her arms about Eleanor's waist and pulled.

Sora ran toward the tentacle and slammed his keyblade against it, but the ooze simply wrapped around his weapon, drawing it in. Sora let go of his keyblade, letting it disappear before it was completely lost. With nothing else to do, he grabbed Merida's waist and tried to help pull Elinor back.

"Merida, let me go."

"No! I won't lose you! Not again!"

"Let go of me. That's an order from your queen!"

"NO!"

Elinor grabbed the tentacle around her arm, but her other hand simply sunk in. The rest of the ooze appeared in the trees. It opened up like an oily mouth, ready to swallow.

Elinor hissed. "I faced a demon bear, I can face this darkness too! You won't take my daughter, do you hear me? Merida, let me go! This is the last time I will ask!"

"No! I will never let go. You've always been there for me! Now it's my turn to be here for you! If we get swallowed, I'm just going to bust my way out of that thing! Sora! Pull harder!"

Sora felt something spark in his chest. It was warm and fluttery. It spread throughout his bones. Power zinged through him. He knew that feeling. And he knew just what to do.

"Merida! Elinor! On the count of three, I want you to concentrate all your bravery on me!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Are you afraid of that monster, Elinor?"

"No! I will face any demon if it means keeping my family safe!"

Merida spoke through clenched teeth. "Me too."

She looked over her shoulder at Sora and the fierceness in her eyes fueled the fiery power inside him.

"Whatever you're going to do, do it, Sora!"

"Right! Ready? One."

Elinor dug in her heals, struggling harder. "We will defeat it! I know we will!"

Her will slammed into Sora.

"Two!"

"Yer right, mum! As always!"

Merida's spirit was as fiery as her hair. Mother and daughter began to glow, and Sora's keyblade appeared in his hand. The blue and green light of Merida and Elinor's conviction flowed into the weapon. The light was heavy, hard to control and Sora had to grit his teeth to focus on keeping the power in place. His arm pulsed, but still he raised his keyblade and aimed at the tentacle holding Elinor.

The ooze was getting desperate. The black liquid was starting to creep up Elinor's arm.

Just a little more time!

Sora concentrated. His faith pulsed deep in his chest. His body sung with power and screamed with exhaustion at the same time. All of the light, the love and hope the three of them shared gathered in his keyblade.

His arm was shaking, his feet were sliding off the ground.

The ooze gave one powerful pull. Merida and Sora's feet slipped off the ground. They lost the tug of war.

Sora felt the light burning through his entire body.

It was only one second, but his, Merida's and Elinor's hearts were one.

They were falling toward the ooze, but there was no fear inside them. Together, they closed their eyes, and chanted.

"Trinity Limit!"

A scorching blast of blue, red, and green light flew through the air, slamming into the black blob. Like a rope being snapped, the ooze holding Elinor's arm broke.

Merida, Elinor and Sora fell onto the ground. The fall was nothing compared to the aching in Sora's joints. He couldn't remember the last time he held and released so much energy. He could only watch as the spell moved through the ooze, changing it from black to dark purple to light lavender.

Blurry shapes appeared in the sludge, like shadows in swamp water. There was an arm here, a leg there, the shape of a tall, round man, what looked like a duck and some children.

Then he completely forgot about the strange figures in the ooze as the trinity spell exploded and white light washed away everything. The brightness made Sora's eyes swell with tears. The spell drowned out all sound.

Except the whispering in Sora's ear.

He didn't understand the words, but there was a picture in his mind. An island, a redheaded girl in a white room, and a boy in the darkness. The brightness faded, as did the images in his thoughts.

Sora blinked.

Merida and Elinor were still on the ground, dazed.

The ooze was not defeated, but it was completely still. It was smoking, whole sections of it were chipping off like dust. Then, without warning, it stretched. A black hand reached out toward Merida and Elinor.

Sora couldn't stand.

His body was too tired from their last attack.

He wasn't fast enough.

The ooze was inches away from Elinor and Merida.

It stopped.

The shape of a man appeared out of the ooze. A big, round man.

Elinor gasped. "Fergus?"

The shape pulled. Arms and legs swimming through the ooze. A second later, like a man surfacing for air in a dark lake, King Fergus' head appeared.

"Dad!"

Merida began to crawl toward her father.

"Stay away! Run before it gets you too!"

Elinor reached out. "Are all of you trapped in there?"

"Your attack has weakened it, but it's regenerating! I don't know how long I can break free like this! Run!"

Another tendril of the ooze moved. This time, it inched toward Sora. Donald and Goofy erupted out of the blackness. Sora bent his body. He managed to get up onto his hands and knees.

"Hold on! I'll pull you guys out! Just give me a second."

"No," Donald said. "You'll get caught in it!"

He grunted, struggling to pull the rest of his body free. But he was only able to get his arm out. With the last of his strength he raised his staff and bellowed.

"Curaga!"

Energy flowed into Sora, easing his bruises and exhaustion. He was able to stand straight.

"Sora, catch!"

Goofy threw an ether at him. Catching it, Sora moved toward them, but his two friends stopped him with a glare.

"Don't worry about us, pal. We know you can get us free!"

Goofy vanished into the sludge.

"You big palooka!" Donald was sinking backward. Soon only his beak was sticking out. "Don't have a stronger blast of light then that?"

His friends disappeared.

King Fergus growled. He was also being pulled back in. The ooze was beginning to come back to life. Sora saw parts of it twitching, as though it were waking up.

There was no time to waste. Sora chugged down the ether quickly. Magical power surged through his body. He raced toward Merida and Elinor and chanted.

A healing spell sparkled at the end of his keyblade. The green clovers glittered over Merida and Eleanor, bringing color back to their faces.

"Go now! Please," King Fergus begged.

"I got Mum free! I'll get you free too!"

"You can't. The light wasn't strong enough to push all this darkness away."

"Then help us fight it from the inside," Sora said. "While we try to destroy it from out here."

"Just get my family to safety, lad!"

Fergus was gone. Sora grabbed Merida and Elinor's arms. He pulled them into the forest, away form the ooze. Merida resisted.

"I'm not going to leave them behind!"

"My friend gave me a big clue. There is way to push the darkness back and free everyone trapped inside."

"What's your plan?"

"Remember the trap we set? Do you guys have enough energy for another trinity spell?"

Merida winked. "Look who yer talkin' to."

Elinor picked up her skirts, running faster. "I don't know what you two are talking about, but if I know one thing, it's to have faith in you. Lead the way."

They sprinted through the forest. Merida could easily jump over boulders and loop around tree trunks that appeared out of nowhere, but she had to stop frequently to help her mother along. Sora kept up the rear.

It wasn't long before he heard the slimy cracks and snaps from the sludge chasing after them. Sora and looked over his shoulder and the sludge was moving faster through the trees.

He sent a blast of light out behind him, but it did nothing to push the sludge back.

"Why do I even try," he huffed. "Merida, how much farther?"

"We're getting close."

"Keep going, get the you-know-what ready! I'll catch up!"

Sora stopped and waved his arms.

"Hey, you! Slime-ball! Over here!"

The sludge threw out an oily black arm at him, and Sora rolled just before it could slam him down into the ground. He danced around the sludge, ducking and weaving in and out of its attacks as he moved closer and closer to the ruins.

The trees thinned. Mist appeared around his feet. He was almost there.

The sludge threw out a ropey tentacle at Sora's legs. He jumped up, nearly avoiding getting caught by the ankle. The tentacle moved, angling upward. Sora spread his legs and the tentacle missed his skin by an inch. The second he landed on the ground, he bolted toward the ruins and just barely made it into the center of the trap.

Something slammed into him from behind. Sora took a step forward to catch his balance and then felt a arm loop around his middle. He looked down in horror.

The sludge had caught him. He was tugged back like a fish on a hook. He pushed forward, reaching out. He had been so close!

Merida and Elinor rushed out of the ruins and grabbed his arms.

They pulled.

The sludge was too strong. It reached out and wrapped itself around Elinor and Merida's waist. The trap was getting farther and farther away.

Merida's hands were still free.

Sora had an idea.

"Can you hit the target?"

"In my sleep!"

Sora aimed his keyblade. "Okay. Get an arrow ready!"

Merida twisted, turning her upper half so that her bow and arrow faced the stained glass.

Elinor put a hand on Merida's shoulder. Her other hand squeezed Sora's. Light, bravery, forgiveness, and love flowed through her, connecting Sora and Merida. He felt Merida's stubbornness, her refusal to give up, her cheerful nature. The power of their will was so strong that he nearly feinted, but he forced himself to concentrate, gathering the power within himself and pushing it toward Merida.

The blue, green, and red energy moved from Sora's keyblade to swirl around Merida's arrow. They were closer to the blob of darkness more then ever now. Merida didn't hesitate. She aimed and fired.

The tricolored arrow slammed into the disk.

A rainbow lazer shot out of the glass, hitting all the hidden mirrors in the ruins. The light multiplied. Sora threw out his keyblade, and called all the light to the tip of his weapon. A burning, liquid star of silver power gathered on the keyblade.

He threw his weapon over his shoulder and fired the star at the sludge.

The blast threw Sora, Elinor, and Merida out of the blob's hold and onto the ground. The smell of burned rubber made Sora's choke. He covered his nose with one hand and ducked down into a little ball.

Light flashed again and all Sora, Merida and Elinor could do was cover their eyes and wait for the storm to pass.

An explosion of sound. Then silence.

Slowly, the sounds of the forest returned, and the light faded.

Sora sat up and looked around.

The sludge was melting into the ground, turning from dark purple to blue. As it evaporated the people trapped inside stood up. All the guards, dogs, and horses from Merida's reappeared. The servants and soldiers from the castle jumped happily.

"Fergus! Boys!"

Elinor and Merida ran to their family. Merida's triplet brothers gathered around her. One of them gave her a noogie, another hugged her leg, and the last brother jumped into her arms. Merida's father gathered up his wife, daughter and sons.

"Now that's how it's done! My girls! So brave!"

Sora's cheeks were hurting from smiling so much. He stood up, only to be knocked back onto the ground when Donald and Goofy tackled him. He hugged his friends tight. Relief warmed his heart.

"I missed you guys so much!"

There was an eruption of laughter and cheers from the people. Sora, Donald and Goofy held hands, jumping up and down in a circle. Even Jiminy hoped from one head to the other, whooping.

Suddenly the crowd gasped.

Swords were freed from their scabbards.

"Stand down," came Merida's voice.

The guards stilled, but didn't put away their swords. Sora followed their line of sight.

The Riku look-a-like was walking through the crowd. It came to stand in front of Sora and nodded approvingly. There was a whisper.

"Thank you."

The look-a-like changed shape, turning back into a tiny wisp. It floated around the people and over the lifeless, tiny puddles of blue goo that still remained on the floor. The goo rose up from the grass. The people all held their breaths, but it wasn't a blob of darkness that appeared.

All the puddles of goo turned into wisps. They gathered together, lined up into the shape of a heart and flickered away, finally free of the darkness that had taken them over.

* * *

_"You're stupid."_

Yeah. He really had been.

_"Sooner or later, they'll swallow your heart."_

Is that what had happened? Is that where he was? In the belly of a heartless, trapped, never to escape? Alone? Is that what he deserved after betraying his friends? After letting someone else's dark heart take over his own?

"Riku? Can you hear me?"

The words were muffled, speaking to him from far above, but he was too deep in the depths of darkness to understand them. The darkness pressed on his eyelids, but something inside him resisted the temptation of sleep. Slowly, he opened his eyes and stared into the black ocean he was drowning in. He couldn't see the surface, there was no light to tell him which direction he was even looking.

"Please wake up."

It hurt to blink. Chalky, dust rested on his cheeks and lashes. If only he could just close his eyes and not feel the pain anymore.

_Yes. Stay asleep._

He jolted. That voice again. The one that whispered deep from within his heart, a scar left from all his bad choices, a trap he was quickly falling back into.

"No. I'm not turning to you. Never again."

_So you say. You woke up before, and yet here you are again._

"Shut up!"

He struggled against the darkness, swimming through it, searching for some light to guide him back to the world of wakefulness.

_You came back to the darkness. You're addicted._

Riku shook his head but the voice echoed louder, from every direction, filling his thoughts with the oily pollution of despair. His heart seized, fighting back, even as the terror threatened to choke him.

_Afraid? Just give in. It's easier._

"I won't."

_Why fight? You're alone._

"No he's not!"

Sweet, warm air sliced through the darkness. It swirled around Riku, lighting his body, clearing away the sand from his eyes and watering the shriveled parts of his heart. The breeze moved upward. Riku swam after it.

The darkness around him trembled. Hands appeared out of the void, reaching toward Riku's legs. The breeze of light converged on Riku, shielding him in a protective sphere. The hands recoiled, long, pointy fingers curling in anger.

It was time to move. Riku chased the light. He felt the darkness' hold on him melt away. He reached out and grabbed the tiny star above him.

He opened his eyes, truly awake once again.

The world was blurry and whatever was under his back was hard and cold, but something warm was holding his hand.

"You're up! Gosh! What a relief!"

Riku squeezed the hand holding his.

"King Mickey? Is that you?"

He sat up. When he tried to take a look around, everything around him was melted together, like an painting that got drenched in water.

He covered his eyes. "Ow!"

"Oh! Hold on."

Something touched his chest.

"Curaga!"

Warmth tingled on his skin, pushing away the pounding headache and the confusion. But the world around him was still melting.

"What's going on? How come everything looks like its underwater?"

Mickey put a hand on Riku's shoulder.

"Rest for a little bit. You took a bad hit from those heartless earlier."

Riku lay back down. He placed his arm behind his head and took in a few long, deep breaths to try and calm down his frantic heart.

"What happened to me?"

"Once the realm of darkness was sealed off, we had to beat all the heartless that had gathered behind the door. I lost you in the fight."

"How did you find me? This place is huge."

"Yup. But for a moment there, I felt a strong light in the realm of darkness. I followed the light, and it led me to you, and just in time. You were falling with a lot of heartless. I caught you and fought off the heartless, but you were unconscious for a while. I was really worried."

Riku rubbed his eyes.

"Yeah, I remember now. Those heartless just kept coming. They caught me off guard."

"Without a keyblade, they can't be fully defeated."

"Why?"

"Because only a keyblade can release the heart from the darkness. It's a really dangerous place here. We should be careful not to get separated again."

If he hadn't given into the darkness, Riku wondered, would the keyblade have chosen Sora over him? Riku grit his teeth. No! None of that mattered anymore. He couldn't spend his whole life feeling jealous and doubting everything around him. That was had gotten him in the realm of darkness in the first place!

Riku wobbled to his feet.

"Wait! You're not fully recovered yet."

The realm of darkness was one big blob of black and grey, but Riku took a step. He could feel the darkness all around him, but for once he didn't feel alone. His heart was much more at ease with King Mickey standing next to him.

"I'll be okay. Besides, we can't stay here too long. We need to find a way out of here."

"Okay. But take it easy."

"Thanks Your Majesty. Say, do you think you can teach me that healing spell you did earlier?"

* * *

The DunBroch family threw one heck of a party. Donald and Goofy stuffed their faces with feast food, challenged Hubert, Hamish and Harris to a jelly tart eating contest (the triplets won) and then took a nap while Sora and Merida retold their story to the servants and guards.

Everyone danced and drank until sundown when Elinor officially thanked Sora, Donald and Goofy for their bravery. Fergus gave Sora a hug that nearly cracked the boy's spine, and then sent them off.

Merida and Angus escorted the trio back to the stone circle where they had met. Once there, she gave Sora one of her patented thumps on the arm.

"I don't think I've ever had an adventure like that! I hope you come to visit again soon."

She raised her arm and Sora bumped his fist with hers.

"Thanks for everything, Merida. I'm glad I helped you find your family."

"And I'm glad you found yer friends. I hope you find Riku too. Seek me out if you want someone to rumble with."

Merida shoved a parcel and a letter into Sora's hands.

"A thank you gift from my family. Bye lads!"

Merida and Angus galloped away. When they was gone, Donald snatched the parcel out of Sora's hands, leaving only the letter behind. While Donald greedily opened the parcel, Sora undid the wax seal on the envelope.

Instead was a small pendant made of green, blue, and red glass. Sora recognized it. It was a piece of the stained glass that Elinor had given Merida. There was a little note attached.

"In case you ever need help finding light within the darkness."

Light within the darkness, Sora thought. Like the people inside the corrupted will-o-the-wisps. A light at the end of the tunnel, like the story Kairi's grandma had once told her.

Something sparkled. One of the stones in the circle glowed like a sunset. Then the old writing and harsh surface of the rock faded away, and a golden keyhole appeared. Sora raised his keyblade. Light passed through the key into the keyhole, sealing the world.

A smooth whisper fluttered through the forest. A will-o-the-wisp appeared at the base of the pillar. It danced, then fading away.

After a moment, the trio moved back to where the castle door had been. Sora hoped that the door had returned. Goofy led the way back while Sora walked along with Donald, eating a fruit tart from the parcel that Merida had given him.

"This really was an interesting world," Sora said.

"What do you mean," Donald asked through a mouthful of raspberry jelly.

"There were no heartless here. I wonder why?"

Goofy tapped a finger on his chin. "Say, weren't there no heartless in Tarzan's world when we first visited there too?"

"There may not have been heartless here, yet darkness was able to seep through and affect the willow-the-wisps."

"That must be why the wisps took on Riku's shape. They must have been tryin' ta get your attention so that you could help them."

Sora lost his appetite. He lowered his fruit tart and stared at Donald and Goofy's backs. "I never got to apologize to you guys."

His friends turned around to pin him with a questioning stare.

"What for?"

"I saw Riku, and I ran after him without thinking. I shouldn't have left you behind. You're my friends too. If I had been there when those corrupted wisps had attacked, I could've helped you guys."

Goofy patted Sora's shoulder. "Aw, you don't need ta be sorry. It was actually a good thing you didn't get caught like we did. Otherwise you couldn't have saved us."

"But I left you guys behind. I never should have done that. Friends stick together."

"You were only chasing after someone you care about, right? If it were us and we saw the King, I'm sure we would have been too excited to wait for others too."

Somehow, his speech made Sora feel even worse.

Donald tapped his foot on the ground. "It's okay this time, but next time, talk to us."

Sora bowed his head. "Yeah."

Jiminy spoke on Sora's ear. "Don't be so down. They're both right. It's okay to worry about your friends, but don't leave others behind. Though, this time, it kind of worked out for the better."

Sora put his hand on his shoulder and felt Jiminy jump into his palm. He held the cricket out in front of him so that they could be face to face.

"It's just that, what if I never find Riku? After everything that happened here, seeing how just a little bit of darkness was able cause so much havoc, I can't help but feel that Jasmine was right. If we keep going, there's a chance that we can find an entrance to the realm of darkness. I don't know if we should continue. Imagine what could happen if more darkness got out."

The friends grew silent as the shadows of the forest around them transformed from green, to orange, and then slowly into the dark blue hues of the night. The sun had set.

Finally, Donald spoke.

"So what do we do if we don't find the king, or if we don't keep going through that door? Are we just going to stay stuck inside the castle?"

"And what about Locke," Jiminy added.

Goofy raised his hand. "Hey, why don't we try talking about this stuff back at the castle. It's getting dark out here."

"Will the castle door even be there?"

Donald gave Sora a suspicious look. "What do you mean? Of course it will be there."

"After you guys disappeared, I came back here to see if you had gone back to Castle Oblivion without me."

Goofy ducked his head apologetically. "Aw, we wouldn't do that."

"I know. Don't worry. Anyway, when I came to find the door, it was gone."

Donald's eyes got wide. "Does that mean we're stranded here?"

"Well, fellars, why don't we go check and see if the door's come back?"

Goofy's optimism won out. The castle door stood eerily luminescent in the surrounding dark forest.

Sora, Donald and Goofy passed through it. Merida's world faded away, to be replaced by the white interior of Castle Oblivion. But something was wrong.

Locke was gone.

* * *

_**Jiminy's Journal**_

Mary Poppins (First Appeared in Mary Poppins, 1964): A mysterious yet lovely nanny with a wide range of magical powers. She has an uncanny ability to make children behave and pay attention. She has hired herself to be Kairi's magic instructor.

Mickey Mouse (First Appeared in Steamboat Willie, 1928): Although he is the king of Disney Castle, as a keyblade master, Mickey also has responsibilities outside of his world. He's no stranger to adventure and doing the right thing. He vanished with Riku after the door to Kingdom Hearts was closed. Now that he and Riku are reunited, can the two of them work together to find a way out of the realm of darkness?


	14. Chapter 13: Atlantis

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy or any of the Disney/Square Enix characters that appear in this work. Please support the original releases.

* * *

**_Chapter 13: Atlantis_**

* * *

The surgically clean and empty foyer of Castle Oblivion made Sora's spine tingle with a warning. His steps echoed in the silence as he searched the corners of the room. No clues of a struggle, nothing left behind. Locke had simply vanished.

He stood in front of weak wall of the foyer. Through the blurry, white film of the castle wall, Sora saw dark, sharp edges. Something tall and wide stood beyond the wall. Had the world outside the castle changed in all the time they had been there?

Sora aimed his keyblade at the wall, but, just like the castle door back in Merida's world, no keyhole appeared. Frustrated, he slammed his keyblade against the flimsy surface. The only thing that did was make his arm tingle with fiery pins and needles. The keyblade fell to the floor while Sora shook his wrists in an effort to ease the pain.

One thing was for sure. If Locke had left them behind, he certainly hadn't gone outside the castle. Sora regrouped with Donald and Goofy but before the friends could even start their meeting, a deep, husky voice resonated from Castle Oblivion's dimensional door.

A shadow slithered over the door. Then, like pulling bark away from the tree, the shadow peeled off, and Dr. Facilier stood at the top of the steps. He leaned forward on his cane, chuckling at Sora, Donald and Goofy as they drew their weapons.

"Now, y'all weren't thinking about stopping your journey, were you? I would just hate for you to leave your friend behind here." The witch doctor tilted his top hat down over his face until only the sharp, white, shiny gleam of his teeth were visible. "That so called treasure hunter put up quite a good fight, but my friends on the other side proved to be too much for him to handle."

Donald gasped. "Treasure hunter?"

Sora hissed. "What did you do to Locke? Where is he?"

"Oh, he's just fine. I just thought he would be getting bored sitting here all on his own, so I opened the door for him."

Dr. Facilier spun around to tap the diminutional door with his cane.

Sora leapt forward.

"Better hurry, the world he ended up in looked very dangerous."

At the top of the steps, Sora swung his keyblade at Dr. Facilier.

He hit nothing but air.

Dr. Facilier was gone, but his laughter remained, haunting Sora with images of Locke trapped in a world of darkness.

Sora stared at the castle door. There was still no way out, and nothing to do but go forward. Donald and Goofy came to stand by his side. Each of the friends held out their hands.

All for one, and one for all. They would not leave their friends behind.

Together, they stepped through the door yet again.

* * *

Kairi looked around the library at Disney Castle. Sunlight sprinkled into the room through the windows on the ceiling, revealing her reflection in the polished, white and grey checkerboard floor. All four walls of the library were curved inward, giving the room a lopsided feeling.

Despite this, the library was beautiful, with a golden fireplace and chimney on one side, and a mahogany desk and chair on the other. The wall opposite the door was covered in book shelves. The books were so tightly packed that Kairi wondered whether pulling out one book would send the whole shelf toppling down on her head.

Queen Minnie stood next to the desk. In her hand was the letter that Pluto had given to Kairi on the destiny islands. Minnie slowly lowered the letter from her face.

"Oh dear."

Daisy snatched the letter and read, her frown deepening with each line.

"A machine that manufactures heartless? How awful! And if you're here, then the letter did not get to its recipient."

"That's right." Kairi turned to the queen. "Daisy mentioned that the king sends you letters. Do you think we can try to let the king know that his letter didn't reach Sora and the others?"

Minnie shook her head. "King Mickey has not sent me anything in quite some time. If you hadn't come here, none of us would have known that Sora, Donald and Goofy had completed their mission." Minnie put a hand on her cheek. "I have been trying to contact King Mickey for a while, but he hasn't been responding to my letters."

Daisy covered her beak. "Didn't restoring the worlds mean that they would be separated again?"

"Yes."

"If that's true, then how are His Majesty, Donald and Goofy going to get back home? In fact, how did Kairi get here?"

"To be honest, I don't know how I got here."

Carefully, Kairi explained about the realm of darkness. When she mentioned Oswald, Queen Minnie and Daisy tilted their heads.

"Why is that name so familiar?" Minnie wondered.

"Perhaps we should search the library," Daisy suggested, "to see if we have some record of this rabbit."

"Good idea. But first, why don't you finish your story, Kairi."

Before Kairi could answer, the door to the library swung open and Mary Poppins strutted in.

"Forgive the intrusion, Majesty." Mary bowed.

Minnie curtsied. "Welcome back, Mary."

"It appears as though I have come in during a very serious discussion."

"Indeed," Daisy said, "Kairi was telling us how she got here."

Mary took one look at Kairi and huffed. "Oh now that will never do!"

Kairi squinted. "Excuse me?"

Mary slammed her carpet bag on the desk. "Majesty Minnie and Lady Daisy, would you kindly fill me in while the young lady changes clothes?"

Kairi looked down. Her skirt-shorts were a little dirty, and the hem of her white tank was ripped.

"A lady must have proper attire when addressing royalty, training, or fighting."

"Fighting? Fighting what?"

Mary reaching far inside the carpet bag.

"Now where is it! I'm sure I brought it with me!"

She stuck her head in the bag, and then her whole waist. Kairi tried not to giggle. It looked as though Mary were nothing but a skirt and a pair of boots kicking around in midair. Mary straightened out of the bag. She removed a set of dressing panels and proceeded to unfold them in the corner of the library. Then she returned to her carpet bag and pulled out a square, paper wrapped parcel that was tied up neatly with a red ribbon. She placed the parcel in Kairi's hands and pushed the girl to stand behind the dressing panels.

"Try these on, please. It would be best to move around in clothes that do not impede your movements. Oh, and Majesty Minnie, about the discussion you were having before I entered the room."

As Minnie, Daisy and Mary began their meeting, Kairi stood alone behind the dressing curtain and inspected the parcel in her hands. She pulled the ribbon and the pink paper unfolded like flower petals. For such a small rectangle, there were a lot of items inside. Kairi changed.

"Are you finished, Kairi dear?" Mary called.

Taking in a deep breathe, and wiggling her toes in her new shoes, Kairi moved around the dressing panels. Queen Minnie and Daisy gasped.

"My, you look lovely," Minnie giggled.

"And functional," Daisy added. "I wouldn't expect anything less from Mary. Those leggings and shorts look much easier to move around in then the skirt you were wearing earlier."

"Quite right." Mary agreed. "I must say it is both fetching and more suitable for going on adventures."

Kairi awkwardly played with her new gauntlets, pulling the material higher up on her forearm. She was tempted to pull her black hood over her head to hide her face from all the flying compliments.

Mary produced a vanity mirror from her carpet bag and set it down in the middle of the room. Stepping in front of the mirror, Kairi took in her appearance. She wore a lilac v-neck tank top with a white undershirt. The straps of her top were made out of lacy, yellow stars.

She had replaced her purple skirt-shorts, with a pair of black damaged shorts over white leggings that ended just blow her knees. Her brown belt had leather pouches that rested on her hips. A pair of black, mid calf boots completed the look.

The only items Kairi questioned were the pair of metal gloves she wore on her hands. Silver covered the backs of her hands and fingers. Soft leather-like material cushioned her palms. The metal went all the way to her forearms. The design was sleek, non-bulky and inlaid with with images of stars.

"Do you not like your new attire?" Mary asked.

"No I love it! Though, I have to ask," Kairi lifted up her arms, showing off the gauntlets, "what are these for?"

"You'll get all your questions answered in due time. For now, we have much training to do. Come this way."

Mary went to the library door and opened it.

"Wait a minute, what about-"

"Majesty Minnie, I believe we should begin Kairi's training as soon as possible, as you quite keenly would agree?"

"Well, if you deem it so necessary."

"Good. Come now, girl, I have many spells to teach."

* * *

Darkness greeted Sora, Donald and Goofy when they passed through the door. The smell of moist earth, and the drip, drip, dripping of water echoed in the vast nothing ahead. Behind them, he door to Castle Oblivion glowed, brightening and dimming like a slow heartbeat.

Donald chanted a spell. His staff lit up with fire. He moved his make-shift torch around, and the light flickered over stalagmite, brown rock and soot.

"Look's like a we're in a cave," he said.

Goofy rubbed his nose. "That's a relief. It would have been terrible if Dr. Facilier had thrown Locke into the realm of darkness."

Sora felt his gut twist.

"We'd better get moving if we want to find him." He turned around to face his friends. "Keep your ears," he blinked, "open?"

Donald tapped his foot. "What is it?"

"Our clothes."

Sora ran his hand over the sleeve of his new black, military, buttoned down shirt. On his shoulders, he felt golden, metal stars stitched into the cotton. He looked down at a set of red, cargo pants, and black, steel toed boots.

Donald knocked on the beige pith helmet on top of his head.

"Ah-hyuck, nice hat, Donald."

"You too."

Blinking, Goofy lifted his hand to notice that he was wearing an identical helmet. His usual cargo pants were replaced by green kakis. He wore, thick leather boots and an olive military jacket over an orange undershirt.

Donald seemed the most comfortable in his outfit. His new royal-blue sailor uniform had military medals over the front breast pockets. A yellow scarf around his neck completed the look.

Holding out his hand in front of him, Sora flexed his fingers, testing out the new leather gloves he wore. From between his fingers, he saw something flash from deeper within the cave.

Blue light flickered in the darkness. Soot sprinkled dorm from the ceiling as the cave rumbled. The blue light was getting brighter, lighting up the cave. Something wide, stoney and blue was zooming toward Sora's eyes.

"Hit the deck!"

Donald and Goofy flattened onto the ground. Sora covered his head when he ducked. The air above him shifted, his ears tingled with a high pitched sound.

He shouldn't have looked up.

Blue light shot directly into his eyes. Sora yelped. When he was finally able to look again, he realized that whatever had passed over them was moving deeper and deeper into the cave.

"Gawrsh, what was that?"

Donald raised his staff. "A heartless?"

There was a crash.

Footsteps.

Sora, Donald and Goofy had barely stood back when a spear jutted out of the darkness and stopped them in their tracks. They raised their weapons, preparing to fight, but the spear was fast, knocking the staff, shield, and keyblade away in seconds, leaving the trio with nothing better to do then to put up their hands.

Sora's eyes moved from the sharp end of the spear to the shaft and then to the young woman holding it. She was cast in a blue glow which radiated out of the crystal around her neck. She hissed at Sora, Donald and Goofy, and then began speaking a language that none of them had heard before.

"What is she saying?" Donald said.

"What makes you think I know?" Sora snapped.

A beam of light flashed from behind the young woman, obscuring her features for a moment. There was a blast of air and the light moved over Sora, Donald and Goofy till it stopped directly overhead.

Sora looked up and his jaw dropped. A massive, stone fish was floating over their heads. The fish creature's giant eyes and open mouth glowed the same cerulean color as the young woman's necklace. The light illuminated the cavern, and it was just then that Sora noticed that someone was sitting on top of the fish.

A young man jumped down to stand next to the woman with a spear. He tapped her gently on the shoulder.

"Uh, Kida, I don't think these guys are in league with those creatures," the young man said.

"Creatures?"

Sora shared a look with Donald and Goofy.

The young woman, Kida lowered her speak. She moved around the trio.

"Fascinating." She tapped Donald with the shaft of her spear. "Could this creature be related to Mole?"

"I'm not a mole, I'm a duck! Donald Duck!"

Kida ignored him. She poked Goofy on the nose.

Goofy giggled. "And I'm Goofy. Pleasure ma'am."

Kida smiled and nodded at him. Then she pointed at Sora.

"And you?"

"Right. I'm Sora."

"Where are you from?"

"Uh, we're explorers, kinda."

"Really," said the young man excitedly. "Are you here to find Atlantis too?"

Kida blew her silver bangs out her eyes. "Are all surface dwellers this strange, Milo?"

Goofy scratched his temple. "Atlantis? Don't you mean Atlantica?"

"No," said the young man, Milo, "Atlantis. You know, the ancient civilization that sank into the ocean thousands of years ago."

Donald pointed at the giant fish above them. "What is that thing?"

"It's a vehicle. From Atlantis," Milo answered proudly.

Sora squinted at the fish. "So, you're saying, that's a machine?"

He had never heard of a fish that was made out of solid stone. He stared up into the vehicle's glowing blue mouth, and then up at the pair yellow eyes peering down at them from above. Eyes that moved in the darkness. Eyes that quickly multiplied, and were slowly moving closer.

"Donald, Goofy, it's the heartless!"

A pitchfork came down over Milo's head.

"Milo, look out!"

Kida pushed Milo and jumped back, barely avoiding the pitchfork that stabbed the ground. A green heartless with a long, torpedo shaped head was holding on to the weapon. Kida wasted no time. She stabbed the creature in the chest with her spear, lifted it up and threw it down into the stalagmites. The heartless burst into dust.

Sora, Donald and Goofy sprung into action. Goofy tackled a heartless and smashed it between the cave wall and his shield. Donald jumped up onto the fish-vehicle and blasted the remaining heartless off of it with a series of firaga spells. Sora and Kida stabbed and bludgeoned any heartless that were unlucky enough to be down on the cave floor.

Just when they thought the battle was won, Milo yelped. The heartless were on him, pulling at his coat, his arms, his legs, stretching him out.

Kida sliced through the heartless holding down Milo's feet, but she was too slow to stop the heartless near his head. The heartless crawled over Milo's chest. It reached into his coat and pulled out a leather bound book. Then it ran into the darkness, book in hand.

Milo struggled to pull his arms free. "Wait! No! The shepard's journal!"

Kida and Sora reached out to stop the heartless, but it had already slipped away. Goofy came charging back, bulldozing through the heartless that were still holding Milo down. He then extended a hand to Milo, but young man waved him off.

"Forget about me! The book!"

Kida jumped up onto the fish vehicle with Donald.

"Hey Sora," she called, "you ready to for a chase?"

"I'll stay with Milo," Goofy said. "You guys go."

Sora climbed onto the vehicle. Kida took off her necklace and placed the crystal into a hole on top of the vehicle, much like a key being put into ignition. A second later, the fish jerked forward like a bullet. Donald yelped and grabbed onto Kida's waist in an attempt not to fall off. Sora tightened his legs around the stone fish. He tried his best not to get dizzy as Kida ducked and weaved through the winding tunnels of the cave.

Up ahead, a group of heartless hovered through the caverns. Sora concentrated, charging up a lightning spell. He aimed his spell at the heartless. "What do you think you're doing?" Donald snapped.

He turned around and smacked the keyblade, causing Sora's spell to fly out and crash against the cave wall.

"What did you do that for?"

"You dummy! If you attack them with magic, you might end up frying the journal as well."

"Then what do we do? They're getting away!"

Kida stood up on fish, facing forward with her staff out. "Sora, take over."

"What? I don't know how to drive this thing!"

"Just put your hand on the inscription pad."

Sora looked down at the glowing writing all along the stone fish. There was a square shaped pad. He slapped his hand down on it. The fish jerked forward so fast, Sora slapped his hands on the surface, his fingers digging into the ridges as his legs dangeled out behind him. Kida stumbled, stabbing her spear into the fish, trying not to slip off.

"Whoa! Gently! Press the pad gently!"

Sora put a finger on the pad and the vehicle slowed down. In fact, it slowed down a lot. The heartless were getting away.

With one hand, Kida held on to the fish's dorsal fin. She leaned over the side of the vehicle, her speak tight in her other hand. "I take it back. Punch it, Sora!"

"Okay! Hold on tight!"

Sora slapped his hand against the inscription pad and they rocketed through the air so fast that his teeth rattled. The vehicle looped up and down, and Sora had to duck several times to avoid getting beheaded by stalactites.

"G-g-get me off this th-th-thing!" Donald wailed.

"We're almost there," Kida screamed over the wind, "just a little bit farther! Sora take us down."

"But the stalagmites!"

"Just move your hand to the left or right to dodge them."

Sora did as instructed, weaving through incoming stalagmites so fast that his stomach turned. They were nearing a heartless. Kida leaned out and sliced through the air with her spear, cutting the heartless in half.

"Up," Kida commanded, and a moment later, she cut through a heartless that had been keeping close to the ceiling.

The tunnel narrowed.

"Sora!" Donald screamed. "Put on the breaks!"

"No, don't stop," Kida commanded, "we can make it through!"

She get back up onto the fish, and passed her hand over the inscription pad. "Hold on!"

The vehicle rolled. Sora felt electricity rush through his bones as they looped. Once they were right side up again, he felt the pain of Donald's hand clamping on his ankle. The duck had almost fallen off.

While Sora helped Donald back up on the vehicle, Kida stood up and angled her spear above her head. With a roar, she threw her spear and it pierced through the last three remaining heartless like a shesh-kebab. A book fell down onto the cave floor.

Kida slowed the vehicle down. Donald jumped off when it stopped. He could barely walk. After a few, uneasy steps, he collapsed onto the ground and Sora swore he saw stars circling around the poor duck's head.

Kida laughed. "You're friend is unsuited for intense rides it seems."

"That was amazing! You got all three of those heartless at once!"

"You weren't so bad yourself. Nice driving."

She jumped off the stone fish.

"Come on, we'd better find that book before Milo winds himself in knots."

Finding the book was easy, and the ride back was much less unpleasant, even if Donald refused to let go of the back of Sora's shirt the whole time.

To say that Milo was happy to get his book back was an understatement. As soon as Kida and Sora had given him the shepard's journal, Milo began flipping through the pages and muttering to himself.

"Those creatures are nothing like the Atlantean guardians we saw on our way here. If I had known that the shepherd's journal was being literal, I would have helped Commander Rourke take better precautions, but who would have possibly guessed that Atlantis would have such marvels guarding it?" He paced back and forth. "I mean, of course the legends talk about how Atlanteans had advanced science, medicine and technology, but machines that still work? Over thousands of years later? I never would have imagined such a thing!"

He pointed his journal at Sora. "Do you understand the magnitude of such an archeological find?"

"Uh."

Milo groaned. "If only those creatures did not appear during our journey! I could have focused all my energies on uncovering the secrets of Atlantis by now!"

Sora leaned toward Kida and whispered, "If he okay?"

"He's a scholar, can't you tell. Judging by his diminished physique and large forehead, he's suited for nothing else."

Milo wrung his hands. "I lead a whole crew to the greatest archeological find in history, only to have some crazy, yellow eyed creatures get in the way!"

"Sounds like you are having troubles with our specialty, ah-yuck."

Milo froze. "Your specialty?"

"Me and my friends, we're sort of experts on those creatures."

"They're called heartless," Donald explained.

Sora raised his hand. "We're also looking for friend of ours. If we can keep the heartless at bay, do you think you can take us to Atlantis. He might be there."

"I like this idea," Kida said. "They are very capable fighters and we need help if we are to figure out what happened to my city."

"Your city?" Donald asked.

"She's an Atlantean," Milo explained. "Amazing, isn't it? My team and I came all the way down here, hoping to find ruins, maybe some ancient artifacts, not a living, thriving city."

Kida didn't look as excited as Milo. She turned away for a moment, and Sora spied her rubbing her crystal necklace between her fingers. Before he could ask her what was on her mind, she jumped back up onto the fish-vehicle.

"Why don't we talk on the way to the city? We have more to discover there."

Milo grunted, pulling himself up onto the vehicle. "Good idea."

"And you three can look for your friend there too."

"Just a sec."

Sora called for a huddle.

"I want to explore Atlantis, but we can't forget about Locke."

"Right," Goofy agreed, "if the heartless are here, he may be in danger."

Donald groaned. "I just wish we didn't have to ride that stupid fish thing."

Lucky for Donald, the fish moved at a more leisurely pace. As they rode through the caverns, Sora described what Locke looked like. Unfortunately, neither Kida nor Milo had any clue as to Locke's whereabouts, so the topic was changed to talking about Atlantis.

Milo adjusted the glasses on his nose, his face widening into a grin. He then launched into a lecture about everything he had ever studied. Donald and Goofy's eyes drooped, but Sora was stuck on every word.

"Atlantis was once a continent that possessed all kinds of powerful technology and medicine far beyond what is current in the world. It was struck by a some kind of cataclysmic event that sank it to the bottom of the sea. My grandpa spent his whole life searching for Atlantis! He was most amazing explorer. I'm here to prove all the things that he believed. You see numerous cultures all over the agree that Atlantis possessed a power source of some kind. More powerful then steam, then coal! More powerful then our modern combustable engines. That power source is the key, the heart, of Atlantis if you will. That's what I came down here, all the way under the ocean, to look for."

"Wait, you're saying this cave is under the sea?"

"That's right."

Sora swallowed. Suddenly the cave air felt lighter, making him dizzy. Sure, he had been in the sea before, but that was back when he could breathe underwater. How on earth had Milo managed to dive so deep into the sea and find such a cave? When Sora asked him, Milo's eyes lit up.

"Let me tell you the story."

* * *

The rain slammed against the mansion's enormous windows, blocking out the view of the estate outside. Milo walked deeper and deeper into the spacious room, staring at the floor to ceiling bookshelves on the walls. Historical artifacts decorated the room. The only light sources were the orange glow that came from the fireplace and the massive, blue fish tank that was built into the wall.

"Um, hello?"

There was no answer. A painting caught Milo's attention. Two old men, their hands clasped in camaraderie, were depicted in the frame. One man wore a brown suit, while the other was dressed in a green expedition uniform and helmet. Milo stared at the man in green.

"Grandpa?"

"Finest explorer I ever met," said a voice.

Milo turned. The other man from the picture was sitting behind him. He no longer wore his brown suit. Instead, he was in a navy blue bathrobe and his arms and legs were folded around him like a pretzel.

"Preston Witmore," the old man introduced himself. "Pleasure to meet you, Milo."

He extended his foot like hand and Milo awkwardly shook it.

Mr. Witmore's joints cracked as he unfolded himself. He sat straight for a moment before twisting his upper half. "Join me in a little yoga?"

Mr. Whitmore bent his body in a way that put his feet up onto the top of his head.

"Um no, but thank you. Mr. Whitmore, did you really know my Grandfather?"

"Oh yeah," Mr. Whitmore grunted, "met old Thaddeus Thatch in Georgetown. He even took me on some of his expeditions. Crazy as a bat, that old Thaddeaus. He spoke of you often."

"Funny." Milo turned away as Mr. Whitmore did a headstand. "He never mentioned you."

"Oh he wouldn't. I like my privacy."

Milo tried his best not to turn his head until Mr. Whitmore was sitting properly.

"Why exactly am I here?"

"Oh right. Check the desk there, son."

Milo looked around. A rectangular package sat on top of the desk in front of the fish tank.

"Your grandpa gave me that to give to ya when you were ready. Whatever that means."

Milo picked up the package and unwrapped it. His heart flipped as he lifted up a leather bound journal.

"This can't be! This is the shepard's journal."

Milo whirled around to pin Mr. Whitmore with an incredulous stare.

"This is the key to unlocking the secrets of Atlantis! My grandfather found it?"

Mr. Whitmore chuckled. He got off his yoga pillow and moved around the room to stand behind some dressing panels. As he changed clothes, he spoke to Milo.

"For years, your granddad bent my ear with stories about that old book. I didn't buy it for a minute. So finally, I got fed up and made a bet with the old coot."

Mr. Whitmore came around the dressing panels. He was now fully clothed in a white business suit, complete with a red tie and a gentleman's cane.

"I said 'Thatch, if you ever actually find that so called journal, not only would I finance the expedition, but I will kiss you full on the mouth!'" He shuddered. "Imagine my embarrassment when he did find the darn thing."

Mr. Whitmore went to the table in front of the fish tank and sat down.

"Well, Milo, now that you have journal, what do you plan to do?"

Milo brushed his hair out of his forehead. "My gosh. Um, I will show the journal to the board members of the museum and get funding for the expedition."

"Hah! Those old fools? They'll never believe you."

"I will show them. I will make them believe."

"Like you've been trying and failing to do all these years?"

Milo grit his teeth. "I will find Atlantis on my own! Even if I have to rent a row boat."

Mr. Whitmore's mustache rose up in a smile. "That's exactly what I wanted to hear. But forget the rowboat son. We'll travel in style."

He pressed a button on the table. Milo heard a mechanical whirl and then the surface of the table opened up. A platform rose up from within the table. Lined up on the platform were miniatures of submarines, digging equipment, boats, balloons, planes and excavation tools all.

"It's all been arranged. The whole ball of wax."

"Why?"

Mr. Whitmore sighed. "Your grandpa was a great man. Greater then you'll ever know. Those fools at the museum dragged him down, made a laughing stock out of him. 'Atlantis. Ridiculous,' they said. Oh, Thatch. If I can do one thing for my friend, find one shred of proof that Atlantis exists, that will be enough for me."

Milo looked at all the materials on the table. The expense must have been immense and he felt the weight of his grandfather's legacy pressing down on him. To find Atlantis, to prove to the world what his grandfather believed in. Milo's heart brightened. But there were still one problem.

"Mr. Whitmore, in order to do what you're purposing, we need a crew. Engineers, and geologists."

Mr. Whitmore tapped a pile of folders on the desk with his cane. "Taken care off. I got em all. The best of the best."

He winked at Milo, holding out the young man's coat.

"All we need now, is a linguist. You know, an expert in gibberish to make sense of all the Atlantean writing? What do you say?"

Milo was so jittery with excitement that he put his coat on completely backwards.

"I'm your man, Mr. Whitmore. You will not regret this!"

* * *

_**Jiminy's Journal**_

Kidagakash Nedakh (First Appeared in Atlantis The Lost Empire, 2001): Kida for short. The princess of Atlantis and a powerful warrior in her own right. Kida is devoted to finding out the ancient forgotten secrets of her city so that she can save her people. She is as curious and playful as she is fierce, and finds Milo's excited scholarly ramblings entertaining.

Milo James Thatch (First Appeared in Atlantis The Lost Empire, 2001): A linguist from the surface, Milo has spent most of his career searching for answers about the lost city of Atlantis. He idolizes he grandfather, Thaddeus Thatch, who was a famous historian before the scholars on the surface ruined his reputation. Milo hopes that by finding the heart of Atlantis, he can restore his grandfather's honor. His passion for Atlantis and its mysteries endears him to Kida.

Preston Witmore (First Appeared in Atlantis The Lost Empire, 2001): Mr. Witmore is the financial backer of the expedition to find Atlantis. He is an old friend of Milo's grandfather. Despite the fact that Thaddeus Thatch is long gone, Mr. Whitmore believed that his friend's dream deserved to come to reality and gave his full support to Milo and his team.

Minnie Mouse (First Appeared in Plane Crazy, 1928): The radiant and kind Queen of Disney Castle. Patient and responsible, Minnie leads the castle while King Mickey is away on his mission, though she is more then capable to ruling her kingdom on her own. Don't let her caring personality fool though. She is an expert in light based magic and will not tolerate cruelty or rudeness in her kingdom. Perhaps that is why Disney Castle has never been touched by darkness.


	15. Chapter 14: The Crew

**DISCLAIMER**: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy or any of the Disney/Square Enix characters that appear in this work. Please support the original releases.

* * *

**_Chapter 14: The Crew_**

* * *

Donald stared at a Milo with his beak hanging open.

"So, Mr. Witmore really paid for all that equipment?"

"The whole expedition?" Sora added.

"Yep."

Goofy chuckled. "He must have really cared about your grandpa."

"Yeah. I owe him a lot. I finally get to show the world all the amazing things my grandpa believed in."

"And you get to help me uncover a few mysteries about my own city," Kida said.

Goofy scratched his temple. "I don't get it."

Donald frowned. "Yeah, it's the other way around. Shouldn't you be the one telling him about your city, Kida?"

The ride through the caverns slowed down as Kida stared out silently into the tunnel ahead of them. When she finally spoke, her voice was low.

"We are not thriving. My people live, but our culture is dying. Since we were banished down here, no one can understand our writing. We are forgetting our past and, without it, we may not have a future. With each passing year, a little more of our way of life is worn away. And with those creatures suddenly appearing, it's getting even harder to hold on to our identity."

Donald and Goofy hung their heads.

"What do you mean?" Milo asked.

"Before you arrived, those 'heartless' appeared. My people already have to scavenge for food at the edge of a crumbling city and now those creatures are attacking them, making them vanish."

"Well it's a good thing we're here then," Sora said. "Milo can help you figure out the past while Donald, Goofy and I can take care of any heartless that pop up."

Kida turned around and grinned at Sora.

"You give quite a bold promise."

Donald rolled his eyes. "Yeah, he does that a lot."

"Hey, come on! We can't just abandon people in need."

"Yeah, Donald," Goofy chuckled, "you know it's the right thing to do."

Donald crossed his arms. "I just don't want to forget why we're really here."

The caves got brighter. A sea breeze reached Sora's nose. Soft light peeked through the rocks at the end of the tunnel. Vines and roots crept out from between the cracks along the walls.

They flew toward the light. The cave faded away and the world opened up. Sora forgot that they were underground, or even under the sea. He stared out into a crystal clear waterfall that stretched high above his head. Kida made the vehicle fly upward, and, once they were above the waterfall, Sora, Donald and Goofy gaped at the sight below them.

From above, the city of Atlantis sat in the middle of an enormous disk of water. The water roared down over the edges of the disk in powerful waterfalls that ended in a layer of mist so thick that they couldn't see anything beyond it. Standing along the edges of the disk, like stern guards protecting the city, were statues of ancient golems.

A shadow was cast over them as they flew under the thick arm of the statue. It stood with its legs spread wide and its arms outstretched as though it were ready to block a massive wave from washing away the city.

They flew over the disk of water, mountains and small islands that rose up from the miniature sea. At the center of the disk, there was a city that looked like one massive cone of houses, statues, buildings, and courtyards. Kida flew to the city and slowly descended down onto a plaza.

Citizens of Atlantis waved at them as they landed. As they ran up to greet them, Sora noticed that all the people of Atlantis had the same silver hair, brown skin, and blue eyes that Kida did. They even wore the same cerulean crystal around their necks.

The Atlanteans greeted Kida with excitement. Some even poked and prodded the fish vehicle as though they had never seen such a marvel before. The crowd swallowed Kida, pulling her away, yet she didn't seem bothered by her people's eagerness.

She looked over her shoulder and called out to Milo. "Meet me at the palace later!"

As Kida moved away to answer her people's questions, a few children jumped up onto the fish vehicle with Milo, Sora, Donald and Goofy. Goofy patted some of the kids' heads, entertaining them with funny faces and silly jokes.

Sora looked around. The city was covered in fresh vegetation and vines, which grew like spiderwebs over the buildings and the stone roads. Carved into every surface were symbols and pictures from Atlantis' past. Many of the buildings were were cracked and scratched. Still the city was beautiful, even if parts of it looked a little run down and flooded.

After politely interacting with the Atlanteans and answering their questions, Milo led Sora, Donald and Goofy through the city, explaining the ancient history and culture of Atlantis.

"There was just one thing I was wondering," Sora said. "Why would the heartless want that journal?"

"This," Milo presented the journal with a flourish, "isn't just any journal! It's the key to unlocking all of the mysteries of Atlantis. In addition to leading my crew here, I've learned so much about the city through this journal."

"Where is your crew?" Donald asked.

Milo gave them a smug grin. "Wait till you meet them."

He led the way to a bustling market near a stone pier. Milo asked the trio to wait for him while he went to gather up his crew. The moment Milo left, Sora felt the overwhelming need to site down and relax for a second. Too bad there wasn't a bench in sight. Though, there was nice, lone blanket by one of the food stands. Sora walked over to it and sat down.

Which turned out to be a big mistake.

There was a low, scratchy growl by Sora's ear.

He turned his head and found himself staring into the beady eyes of a chubby, and very dirty looking man.

"What have you done?" the man snarled.

Sora stumbled backward, his keyblade appearing in his hand out of reflex. He stared at the strange, metal apparatus that covered the man's head and half of his face. There was a headlamp in the man's forehead and a crooked lever coming out of his temple. The man's eyes looked like tiny telescopes. They popped out of his head and stared into Sora's face.

Sora squirmed, feeling as though he were under a magnifying glass. "Uh, what?"

The man turned the lever at his temple and his telescope eyes shrunk back into his head.

"You have disturbed the dirt!"

The man pulled up the red blanket Sora had been sitting on, revealing whole piles of different color dirt underneath.

"You have mixed and smashed all my samples!"

He turned on Sora with a beady eyed glare.

"You do not look Atlantean. Who are you? Where are you from?" He pointed at Sora's keyblade. "What is that?"

"This is my-"

"Ah! You're so slow!"

The man grabbed Sora's wrist and took out a pair of tweezers from the pocket of this thick, trench coat. He brought the tweezers dangerously close to Sora's hand.

Sora struggled. "Let go!"

"Hold still, crybaby!"

There was a little pinch on Sora's fingertip.

"_Voila!"_

The man let Sora go. His eyes zoomed in the tiny spec of dirt he held between the tweezers. He mumbled to himself while he smelled the dirt. He even tasted it. Then he turned to fix Sora with a furious stare.

"Young boy, the microscopic blueprints of the dirt tell me you are not from here. A forest, a swamp, a desert, two separate cities, these are all the places you have been to, and recently." The man's eyes narrowed. "How is it you have traveled so far in such a small amount of time?"

Sora swallowed a lump in his throat. From behind the dirt man, Donald growled.

"Sora, can't you wash your hands!"

Goofy raised his arm and took a whiff. "Gee, I think we all could use a bath."

The man turned on his headlamp and shined the light right in Sora's eyes.

"Talk! Who are you? Where did you come from? What is your country of origin? Tell me, fiend!"

Sora backed away until he hit someone. Turning, he looked up a tall man with a thick, black mustache.

Mustache looked at the dirt man and then back at Sora.

"Did ya sit in the dirt?"

"I didn't know it was there!"

Mustache shook his head, and put a comforting hand on Sora's shoulder. "Don't sweat it, friend. Mole, can you let the little kid off this once?"

"Mole?" Sora repeated.

The dirt man introduced himself. "_Je m'appelle Gaetan __Moliére_, lead geologist on this expedition. Everyone calls me Mole."

Sora could see why. With the man's very round head and body, the thick furry collar around his neck, the overwhelming stench of mud, the buckteeth, and the thin layer of scruff on his cheeks, the so called lead geologist felt more rodent like then human.

There was a tap on his shoulder and Sora turned around to see the mustached man holding a waterskin.

"Have some water. To relax."

"Thanks." Sora drank the water and then noticed the very concerned look on the man's face.

"What?"

The man was looking at the back of waterskin. "Oh no."

Donald and Goofy pushed passed Mole. "What's with the face?"

"What did I just drink?" Sora asked harshly, feeling panic rise up in his gut.

"I think I just gave you nitroglycerin by mistake." The man sniffed the waterskin in Sora's hand. "Yep, definitely nitroglycerin."

Donald and Goofy nearly feigned. "Is Sora going to explode?"

Mustache put up his hands. "Don't move, or breathe, or think, or do anything, except pray maybe?"

"BOOM!"

Sora, Donald and Goofy screeched. They crumbled onto the ground, clutching their chests, wheezing and shaking. In front of them, Mole and the tall, mustached man roared with laughter.

Fueled by fury, Donald was the first to get back on his feet. He waved his fists in the air, his face red. "What's the big idea! Are you trying to kill us?"

"Relax junior," said Mustache, waving around a red stick of dynamite, as though it were just lollipop. "It was only old nitroglycerin. The chances of exploding are very unlikely."

Donald took one look at the explosive and stepped back, his hands up.

Goofy groaned. "I feel sick!"

"Sick? I can help you with that," said a new voice.

Goofy turned around. The bald man standing behind them looked as though he could challenge a grizzly bear to a wrestling match and win. The muscles on his arms and chest seemed way too big for his olive colored, army tank top. He loomed over Goofy and the poor, old dog gulped.

Luckily, the big man sidestepped Goofy and moved passed Sora and Donald to cross his arms in front of Mole and Mr. Mustache.

"Vinny, Mole, what have I told you about picking on little kids?"

"We were only giving the kids directions, doc. Ain't that right Mole?"

"That is correct."

The big man raised a suspicious eyebrow at his two buddies and then turned around to face Goofy.

"Did you say you were feeling sick?"

He removed a stethoscope from his pocket and pressed it to Goofy's heart.

"Now, take a deep breathe."

Goofy did as instructed.

Big man stuck a popsicle stick into Goofy's mouth.

"Say 'ah'."

Goofy opened his mouth wide.

"Hmm, nope. You look completely healthy to me. Did you eat something that is making you feel nauseous?"

It was just then that an old man popped up out of nowhere. "Course he's sick! Look at all the food these people be eating."

The old man pointed to the food in the marketplace. There were all kinds of fish, and sea food, and some kind of green goo that looked a lot like mashed seaweed. Now it was Sora's turn to feel sick.

"No beans, bacon, or lard! I gots to teach these people how ta cook!"

A girl in overalls walked up to them and a swung at the old man with a wrench, barely missing him.

"Oh no you don't, Cookie. I want some actual food, and not another one of your lard surprises."

Sora pressed his hands on his temples. Between Mole, Vinny, the muscular doctor, the wrench girl, and the old man, his head was beginning to throb.

"Who are all you people?"

The beefy doctor snapped his fingers.

"Ah, right. The name's Sweet. Joshua Sweet. Medical officer."

He pointed at the mustached man.

"This is Vinny, our demolitions expert, and you've already met Mole."

"_Enchanté_."

"This," he pointed to the girl in overalls, "is Audrey Ramirez, our chief engineer."

The girl gave Sora a once over, chewed and blew out a bubble of pink gum.

"And finally," Sweet continued, pointing to the old man.

The old man held his suspenders and stood up straight. "Jedidiah Allardyce Farnsworth."

"But we all call him Cookie," Sweet explained. "He's our chef."

"Please to meet cha," Goofy said.

As if things weren't confusing enough, Milo appeared, with a beautiful, blond woman and a barrel-chested, middle aged man in tow.

Milo spread his arms wide. "Ah! I see you've met everyone."

Sora wondered if it would be rude if he were to sit back down on the dirt. He was about to collapse but was stopped when the blond woman caught his eye. Her sharp, hawk-like stare seared into Sora, and he couldn't help standing straight with his arms at his sides.

The woman set her red lips in a thin line as she looked at Sora, Donald and Goofy, assessing each of them.

"Now, Helga, you're frightening our heroes," said the older man.

The woman stepped back, but her gaze didn't leave the trio.

The man cleared his throat.

"Lyle Tiberius Rourke. I'm the commander of this expedition. I've heard you three helped our friend Milo get his journal back." He extended his hand. "Please allow me to express my gratitude."

Commander Rourke's hand looked big enough to punch through solid concrete. Sora wondered how many pushups a man like Rourke would have to do in order to have such bulging biceps. As they shook hands, Sora couldn't help but feel a little scrawny.

Donald and Goofy saluted.

"At ease, gentleman," Rourke said. "You're not a part of my crew, there's no need to be so formal. Though I do believe I need your help."

Helga fixed Sora with a look that made him feel as though she knew about every lie he had ever told in his life.

"You three. State your name and rank."

"Um, Sora. Keyblade master?"

"Goofy. Captain of the guard."

"Donald. Royal court magician."

"Interesting titles. What is your objective in coming down here?"

"Actually, we're looking for someone."

Sora described Locke as best as he could without breaking the world order. Unfortunately, it didn't look like anyone on Rourke's recognized his description. Helga narrowed her eyes.

"You lost a friend down here? My condolences."

Commander Rourke gestured to the city. "Perhaps looking around for a little while may help you find him. However, I have a favor to ask. Those creatures have been making it rather hard to rest and resupply here. We're only allowed in Atlantis for a sort time you see, and my crew are tired from the trip."

"You're asking us to take down any heartless we run into?"

"That's correct. It would also help Mr. Thatch greatly. He still has some research to do."

Sora scratched the back of us head. "Okay, we'll do it. We will meet back up with you after we've searched the city for our friend."

"Very well, meet us back at the edge of town at o' three hundred hours," Helga commanded.

"Yes ma'am," Sora said automatically.

Rourke smiled. "And someone still needs to talk to that Atlantean princess and get a feel for how things are around here."

He thumped Milo so hard on the back that Milo's glasses nearly flew off his nose.

"The rest of you," Rourke looked at his crew. "You know what to do."

Rourke and Helga walked off with Vinny, Mole, Dr. Sweet and Cookie trailing close behind them. Only the mechanic, Audrey, and Milo stayed behind.

"Hey squirt," Audrey pointed at Sora, "can you really take down those monsters?"

Sora summoned his keybalde. "You bet I can."

Audrey put her hands on her hips and leaned in so close that Sora couldn't help backing away.

"Two for flinching."

She punched Sora twice in the arm.

"Hey," Donald growled.

Audrey ignored him, twirling her wrench in the air. "Scrawny kid. I'd like to see you in action."

"Oh yeah? Well I'd like to see you take down some heartless with your wrench."

"You got a deal."

"Sora," Donald moaned.

"What? She wants to see what we're made of, let her see it."

Audrey put her hands in her pockets. "Let's go kill some monsters."

"You mean _we'll_ kill the monsters. You can just watch."

She gave Sora a "yeah right" look.

"Um, guys," Milo started, "don't forget that we still have to meet up with Kida at the palace."

"You go on ahead, Milo," Goofy said, "we can't go there until we've searched the city for our friend."

The trio searched the city and asked the citizens if anyone had seen Locke while Audrey looked at the sights. After searching every nook and cranny with no hint of Locke, or the heartless, Sora was starting to get antsy. He could feel Audrey's judgmental stare burning the back of his head. It would be nice if one heartless would show up so that he could destroy it and get Audrey off his back.

With no luck in the city, the friends started exploring the ruins on the outskirts of town. They passed under stone pillars covered in moss and vines, over ancient roads that were cracked and covered in craters, and climbed up old, forgotten statues. Still there was no sign of Locke.

"Looks like your friend ain't here," Audrey said. "And neither are those monsters."

"What is you problem?" Sora snapped.

"I don't have a problem. I just want to see you wimps in action."

Donald raised his staff. "I'll show you a wimp!"

Goofy reached out and plucked Donald off the floor before the duck's temper could erupt. "Now now."

While Donald had a tantrum in Goofy's arms, Sora glared at Audrey.

"What? You don't think we can take those heartless on?"

"Those things destroyed half of our crew getting here. Everyone on my team is a trained professional and we were barely able to take them down. I'll believe that you three can take them on when I see it."

A cloud of darkness popped up right behind Audrey's head.

Goofy dropped Donald in favor of bringing out his shield. Sora raised his keyblade at the heartless. Audrey, surprised, took a step back. The heartless raised its lance. Sora reached out, grabbed Audrey's shoulder and pushed her to the side. The lance sliced down through the air, missing Audrey by an inch.

Donald, still fuming, finally had something to throw his temper at. He pounced on the heartless' torpedo-shaped head and began smacking it with his magician's staff.

"You stupid, annoying, confounded heartless! Blizzara!"

Icicles stabbed the heartless, making it vanish, but darkness always attracted more darkness. Before Donald had even landed on the floor, a horde of heartless had appeared in the ruins.

Audrey raised her wrench. Before Sora could stop her, she charged forward, whacked a heartless across the face, and sent it flying toward a stone pillar. The pillar cracked and fell over, smashing the heartless.

The other heartless moved toward Audrey, surrounding her. She backed away, hitting the heartless that got too close. Her defense didn't stop the creatures from calling more of their kind. They closed in on her like a pack of wolves that were ready for the kill.

Goofy put his feet on his shield. Sora and Donald gave him one big push and he rocketed off at blinding speed, crashing into the heartless like a bowling ball hitting the pins. The heartless went flying, which was the perfect opportunity for Sora and Donald to fry them with a pair of thunder spells.

More heartless appeared on the ground, but with Goofy defending Audrey, there was nothing to hold Sora and Donald back. Sora picked up the duck and put him on his shoulders. With his keyblade in his hand, he charged the group of heartless. Donald threw fire spell after fire spell from Sora's shoulders, keeping the heartless at a distance, while Sora hacked and slashed his way through the heartless on the ground. Like a firecracker with a knife, Sora and Donald obliterated every last remaining heartless.

When everything was quiet once again, Donald gave Sora a high five, and then jumped off the boy's shoulders.

"Oh boy, that felt good. I really needed to blow off some steam."

"I think we've gotten a little stronger," Sora said.

"Stronger? With the keyblade maybe, but your magic could still use a little work."

"Aw, come on, Donald."

"You know, fellars, I think it's our teamwork that has gotten better."

Audrey cleared her throat, making the trio look at her. She came up to Sora and pinned him with a glare. Sora glared back, only to be completely thrown when Audrey grinned.

"Sorry for being so hard on you. It's been a tough few days."

Sora blinked, but couldn't help smiling back a moment later. "Don't sweat it. To be honest, I actually kinda like having you around"

Audrey smirked. "Oh really?"

Sora blushed. "I mean, you kind of remind me of a friend of mine. A friend that always pushes me to be stronger."

"Sounds more like a rival to me."

"He's that too." Sora put a hand over his heart. "We've been friends since we were little kids, and we were always competing."

"Sounds like me and my sister. We pretend we don't get along, but I know she always has my back." Audrey dusted off her overalls. "Well, I'd better get back to Commander Rourke and the others to help them finish setting up. See you, Sora."

She left before Sora could ask what her crew was setting up for. When she was gone, Goofy called for a huddle.

"Hey fellas, I don't think Locke is in the city."

"But the shadow man said he was in this world," Donald said.

"Well, we haven't checked the palace," Sora reminded them, "and Kida did ask us to go there."

Goofy looked down at the ground sadly. "I sure hope Locke is okay."

Sora felt like pins were being pushed into his heart. What if Locke wasn't in Atlantis? What if Dr. Facilier had just been lying? He shook his head. There wasn't time to doubt. They still had to check the palace, and if Locke wasn't in that world, then that would mean that they would have to beat his location out of Dr. Facilier himself.

* * *

"How are you feeling?"

Riku rubbed his eyes. After some walking, and a few healing spells, he had gotten used to the darkness around him. The black energy still lingered in the back of his mind, but it was easier to ignore now that King Mickey was with him.

"Better. I can see just fine."

"I'm glad to hear that. You know, I'm impressed."

"Why?"

"You're a good student. You were able to pick up how to do a cure spell pretty easily."

"You think so?"

Mickey nodded, winking.

"You know, back home, I would be the one doing all the work. Sora would laze off and Kairi would find a way to make us do her part."

"Sounds like you had to learn to be independent."

Riku stopped walking. He took a look around the realm of darkness, at all the strange, black and purple glowing platforms that stuck out of the black void. The large, open road he and Mickey stood on seemed felt like it stretched forever into the darkness. How far would he go down that road before realizing there was no end?

"Maybe, I'm a little too independent," Riku said.

"What do you mean?"

"I spent a lot of time doing things on my own, and look where it got me. All alone."

"Gee, you're not alone. I'm here."

Riku gave Mickey an appreciative grin. "You know, I don't know even know why I'm telling you all this. Somehow, you're really easy to talk to."

"I was alone for a while here too. So I know how you feel. It's just lucky we found each other again. This place is so huge. I wonder if it's just as big as the sky that connects all the worlds."

"Right. The worlds really do share one sky."

"And one destiny."

And one realm of darkness, Riku thought. For a moment, he wondered if the world of light would be able to exist without the realm of darkness. Then he felt a heavy thud against his heart. Something was coming.

Mickey summoned his keyblade.

Dark spheres with hungry teeth and sharp, yellow eyes floated in the air. Underneath the dark ball heartless, shadows rose up from the ground. The heartless circled around Riku and Mickey, yet they did not attack.

The platform underneath Riku's feet rumbled. Then the world slanted sharply to the side, like a sinking ship. Riku leaned on the soul eater, trying to keep himself standing. The platform tilted the other way, and it was all he and Mickey could do to hold on. A swirling, black whirlpool appeared on the floor.

The ground tilted once more as a massive, muscular arm came out of the vortex. Like a hand clutching the end of a cliff, the creature's claws dug into the stony platform. The arm pulled the rest of the body out, and Riku watched, his heart screaming in fear, as a giant heartless stood up among all the small fry. It was only then that the ground stopped shaking.

Riku stared into the giant, heart shaped hole in the creature's chest. Slowly, the monster straightened up to stand on its short legs. It's head was a mass of tentacles. There was no face, only yellow eyes that stared silently into the darkness.

Tiny shocks stung on the inside of Riku's stomach and chest. The creature was looking at him. It twitched and then the smaller heartless attacked.

Something slammed into Riku back, smacking his lungs. He fell to his hands his knees, gasping. Darkness sprinkled onto him from above, and Riku looked up just in time to see a heartless explode overhead when Mickey's keyblade ran through it. The king landed at Riku's side.

"You okay?"

Riku grit his teeth. Shame pushed down his terror, stuffing it into a deep well inside him. He pushed himself back up, gripped his soul eater tight in his hands, and charged the shadows and darkballs.

"Riku wait!"

Riku sliced through one heartless sphere, and then through the row of shadow heartless that had tried to scratch at his legs. The sound of chewing drew Riku's attention to the right and he ducked before a darkball could bite into the side of his head.

Standing, Riku stabbed the heartless in the back. He felt spidery fingers clamping around his ankles. Looking down, he tried to slice the heartless holding his legs, but then a shadow heartless jumped onto his shoulders. It pulled at his hair and tried to scratch his face. Riku was too distracted by it to stop the heartless dragging him down.

Mickey dashed forward and sliced through the heartless holding Riku's legs, allowing Riku to finally get rid of the heartless on his head. He opened his mouth to thank the king, but the words died in his throat.

The giant heartless was right behind Mickey. It's fist flashed through the air.

"Look out!"

Riku pushed Mickey out of the way. The fist crashed into Riku, flattening him into the ground. He didn't even have the strength to scream. A fist closed around his body, lifted him up. The giant heartless squeezed. Riku grit his teeth, staring into the creature's empty, emotionless eyes.

King Mickey appeared in the air behind the giant heartless. He raised his keyblade and sent a fireball that spiraled down, searing into the back of the heartless' tentacled head. The heartless turned around, swiping the air behind it as though Mickey were nothing more then a fly to be swatted.

The king landed on the heartless' head and slammed his keyblade into the the heartless' face. With its free hand, the heartless grabbed King Mickey, and began to squeeze. Riku watched helplessly while listening to the sound of his own body being crushed. The smaller heartless down below began climbing the giant. They sat on the fist holding Riku, swarming him. He felt claws and teeth on his arms and legs.

The darkness tightened around him. The eyes of all the heartless melted together until Riku was looking at a dark, black sea full of yellow eyes that were ready to swallow him back into the abyss he had just barely escaped from. Riku couldn't think. He swatted at the eyes, at the darkness, but it closed in, tighter and tighter until he breathed in the stench, until he couldn't hear anything, until...

_ You're one with the darkness now. _

Riku opened his mouth but couldn't hear himself scream. He was buried under a rockslide of darkness and there was no escape. The voice felt closer then ever.

_Open your heart to darkness. _

Riku struggled harder. He couldn't sink back into the darkness. He would never let Ansem take over him.

Never again.

Oil gathered up in his chest and eyes, but he wouldn't let it stay there. He raised his hand in the dark, and felt the power transfer there. Ansem's voice laughed in his ear, the darkness began to burn his skin, but Riku forced the black energy toward his arm, and shouted without words.

Black and purple orbs of energy burst from his hand, shredding through the heartless, the platforms above him, and everything that was unlucky enough to be in its path. The swarm split apart, the heartless pulverized the dark power. The hand holding him down let go. Riku fell toward the floor, finally free from the darkness, but not from the burning.

Flames seared his entire body. His eyes felt as though they were melting. He hit the ground, but the pain of slamming against the floor was nothing compared to what he felt in his head. He lay on the ground, unable to move until something soft and warm numbed the pain.

A pair of hands helped him sit up. Riku sat still gasping, listening to King Mickey voice. The chants of healing spells, one after the other, relaxed his heart. Finally, the burns were lifted, but exhaustion made it hard to open both eyes.

Riku opened his right eye and thanked King Mickey.

"Are you all right?"

Riku nodded.

"What a relief."

Riku looked at the king. His black fur was matted and tussled. There were scratches on his pale face.

"Whoa, are you all right?"

"Don't worry about me. That huge heartless got a few good hits in, but I was able to take it down after you shot that dark firaga spell."

Ice gathered in the pit of Riku's stomach. "Dark firaga?"

"Yes. Right after you threw out that spell, the giant heartless was stunned. I was able to defeat it."

"I used the power of darkness."

"You had no choice. Things were desperate."

"No you're wrong! All that talk about rejecting the darkness and I just made the same mistake!"

Riku opened his left eye. Half of his vision was completely black.

"What? My eye! I can't see though it!"

* * *

**_Jiminy's Journal_**

Gaetan Moliére (First Appeared in Atlantis The Lost Empire, 2001): The lead geologist on the mission to find Atlantis. Members of his crew call him Mole because he's more at home in the dirt then anywhere else. He has an uncanny ability to deduce things simply from studying one sample of dirt.

Vincenzo "Vinny" Santorini (First Appeared in Atlantis The Lost Empire, 2001): An expert in explosives who just loves to blow stuff up almost as much as he loves to play practical jokes on people with his buddy, Mole. His deadpan and chill sense of humor makes him the most relaxed out of everyone on Milo's crew.

Joshua Sweet (First Appeared in Atlantis The Lost Empire, 2001): Although he's a tall, muscular man, Dr. Sweet is a good-natured person who genuinely cares for the health of others. He is bombastic and self-confident and keeps troublemakers like Vinny and Mole in line.

Audrey Rocio Ramirez (First Appeared in Atlantis The Lost Empire, 2001): A teenager with a tough exterior, Audrey takes a little while to warm up to people. She's a gifted engineer who also isn't afraid of a fight. Underneath her tomboyish outer layer, she has a softer, more sisterly side.

Jedidiah Allardyce "Cookie" Farnsworth (First Appeared in Atlantis The Lost Empire, 2001): Don't let his old age fool you. Cookie is a spry old man who is both resourceful in the field and in the kitchen. He serves as the cook for Milo's crew, though his meals are questionable at best.

Lyle Tiberius Rourke (First Appeared in Atlantis The Lost Empire, 2001): The composed commander of the team sent down to find Atlantis. He is a big, imposing man who seems to be in complete control of his crew despite the fact that he hasn't given a single order. How does he get such a team of misfits to respect him?

Helga Katrina Sinclair (First Appeared in Atlantis The Lost Empire, 2001): A beautiful lieutenant and Commander Rourke's right hand. Helga is the one that barks orders and makes sure the team is doing their jobs. She has little to no tolerance for nonsense and is comfortable using intimidation to keep people in line.


	16. Chapter 15: The Heart of Atlantis

**DISCLAIMER**: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy or any of the Disney/Square Enix characters that appear in this work. Please support the original releases.

* * *

**_Chapter 15: The Heart Of Atlantis_**

* * *

Sora, Donald and Goofy met up with Milo and Kida just outside the palace throne room. The massive doors opened, revealing a reflective pond in the middle of a great hall. Powerful stone pillars supported the ceiling. A walkway of stones allowed the group to walk across the pond to the other side of the room, where an old man sat on a couch throne with pillows and silk blankets.

The old man's fist tightened on his staff as Kida and her entourage neared. When they were a few feet away, he rose to his feet and said something to Kida in a language that Sora didn't understand. Milo tensed.

Kida spoke back, in a tone that sounded as though she were pleading, but the ruler slammed his staff down on the ground. Their discussion was over but Kida was not giving up.

"Please Father, just give Milo and his people a little bit more time."

The old man's eyes did not have any irises or pupils. His face shifted from his daughter to Milo.

"Look at what we were able to accomplish," Kida continued, "we were able to get one of Atlantis' ancient machines to move. Imagine what we could learn about Atlantis' past by working together. These explorers and I were even able to defeat those creatures."

Sora wasn't sure how, but he felt as though the king were looking at him.

"Enough, Kida," said the King, in a tone that left no room for discussion. "We will discuss this later. You are dismissed. And you three..."

Sora, Donald and Goofy straightened.

The King said nothing further. He waved to his guards, and the men escorted Kida and Milo out of the room. Once they were alone, the king descended the steps in front of his throne. He walked out onto the stone platforms of the pond and loomed over Sora.

"I sense something ancient with you, boy. You are not just some explorer from the outside world. You are a destroyer."

The guards around the room raised their weapons.

"Destroyer? I would never do something like that."

"Your Majesty." Donald began. "Sora has been done nothing but defend your city from heartless. We don't mean any harm."

"Heartless?" The old man stroked his long beard. "So it is true. You are the key bearer, are you not?"

Sora's shoulders felt tight, and he repressed the need to call on his keyblade, but it reacted to his heart nonetheless, appearing in his hand automatically.

The old king walked back to his throne. "I want you three out of my city immediately. While I thank you for helping my daughter defeat those heartless, I will have nothing to do with the bringer of ruin."

"Bringer of ruin," Sora repeated. "Why do you say that?"

"The key holder who meddles in the affairs of other worlds only brings about ruin. Those creatures must have appeared here shortly before you arrived, as if they sensed you were on your way." The king slammed his staff down. "I am giving you one chance to leave peacefully."

"But aren't the heartless attracted to darkness?" Goofy interjected. "You may need our help."

"This city is protected from the darkness."

"But Kida said that-"

"We will handle this issue ourselves."

"Please, at least let us find our friend Locke. We were told he's here somewhere and-"

"Enough! No one with that name has entered my city, and if he had, he would have been thrown out with the rest of the outsiders. Leave. Now."

Sora opened his mouth, but felt a tugging on his sleeve. He turned around to see Goofy shaking his head. This wasn't the time to argue. The trio bowed to the king and left the room.

Once they were outside the palace, Donald tapped his temple, thinking.

"He reminds me of King Triton. He didn't trust Sora either."

"Why do some people believe that the keyblade is bad luck? I haven't done anything but try to help people since I got this thing." Sora sighed. "What do we do? Do we respect the king's request and leave?"

Donald crossed his arms. "We haven't found Locke, but then again, the shadow man could have been lying to lure us here."

"Why don't we find Kida and Milo for now," Goofy suggested, "we did tell them that we were going to help them."

Sora raised an eyebrow. "Goofy? Breaking the rules?"

"Well, we can leave the city after we help our friends. Right?"

Donald didn't wait for Sora to make a decision. He began walking.

"Get a move on."

They found Kida and Milo relaxing by a lagoon. Ruins surrounded the water, a set of stairs led into the depths. Fireflies floated in the air like golden stars.

Kida held her crystal over Milo so that he could have light. He was reading the shepherd's journal so intently that his nose disappeared into the pages.

When Sora came near, Milo leaned away from the book, rubbing his forehead.

"Something wrong?" Kida asked.

"The journal describes a power source, the heart of Atlantis, and then goes off to a completely different topic on the next page. There's a page missing."

Kida looked at the book. "Wait, I recognize that."

She walked toward the water and stepped in.

"You do swim, do you not, Milo?"

"Uh yes."

"Good. There is a mural under the water, with writing all around the pictures."

"Ah, I get it." Milo took off his coat and pants. He waded into the water with nothing but his undershorts.

"Sora," Kida called, "keep an eye out for those creatures and my father's guards until we return."

"You got it."

Kida and Milo took a deep breathe and disappeared under the water.

* * *

Riku sliced through the air but his weapon didn't hit its target. The heartless jumped on his shoulder. Pain burned on the back on his neck, and Riku threw the soul eater over his shoulder, stabbing the heartless, but when its weight vanished from his shoulder, another heartless hit him from the left.

Fire drilled into Riku's side. He fell to his knees, turning his head to see the heartless advance on him. It reached out with its claws. Something flashed in Riku's eye, and then the heartless fell backward, melting into the darkness. King Mickey stood in front of Riku, his keyblade glowing.

The danger had passed.

For now.

Mickey raised his keybalde and chanted a healing spell. Bell flowers appeared over Riku's head. The spell sprinkled over him, soothing the pain in his side and neck.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay."

"What about-" Mickey stopped, looking at the ground with an apologetic expression.

Riku rubbed his eye. It had become a habit since he lost his sight. Each time he opened his eye, he expected to see again, but the results were always the same. The left side of his world was bathed in darkness.

"Still can't see," Riku said.

Mickey deflated. "Gosh, I guess healing spells don't work on wounds inflicted by darkness that strong, but don't lose hope. Maybe your vision will come back once we get out of the realm of darkness."

Somehow, Riku wasn't sure he believed Mickey.

"Anyway, for now, just make sure to stay behind me. I'll keep you safe from the heartless."

"No."

Mickey blinked. "What?"

"I don't want to slow you down."

"But Riku-"

"I know!"

Mickey ducked his head.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell. It's just that," Riku bit his lip. "I know my attacks have gotten slower, I know that I keep getting hit in my blind spot, but I don't want to be a burden. Let me fight alongside you."

"I can't let you get hurt."

"Then teach me magic. Real magic. So that I don't have to rely on the darkness when things get desperate. I," he swallowed, "I don't know if I'll ever see in my left eye again, but I'm not going to give up. I want to fight."

Mickey crossed his arms. "You sure are tough. And stubborn. Reminds me of Donald."

Riku grinned. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"I can teach you magic, but promise me that you'll still be careful. If things get too rough, let me defend you."

"I will," Riku promised.

* * *

Sora had paced back and forth so many times, it was a wonder that his feet hadn't dug a hole in the ground

"Donald, can you just give me a merman's tail like you did in Atlantica? I want to go check on them."

Donald looked at Sora as though the boy had grown antlers.

"Are you out of your mind? How are you going to explain suddenly being part fish to Milo and Kida? Do you want to shatter the world order?"

"But they've been down there forever!"

Goofy patted Sora's back. "I'm sure Kida knows what she's doing."

Sora didn't get the chance to voice his concerns. Footsteps drew his attention. Rourke and his crew had come to the ruins. Helga's glare made Sora nervous. She walked around the lagoon, her finger drumming on the pistol in the holster at her hip. Rourke pulled something out from his boot, something that looked a lot like a piece of paper.

Audrey ran up to Sora, blocking his view of the rest of the crew.

"Still haven't found your friend?"

"No. What's going on?"

"Oh, we just came to talk to Milo, is all."

Sora looked over Audrey's shoulder. Vinnie, Cookie, Dr. Sweet and Mole were holding rifles. They all looked tense, as though expecting someone to attack. Audrey waved her hand in front of Sora's face.

"So, where is Milo?"

Sora looked from her eyes to the wrench she was gripping tightly in her hands.

"What's going on?"

"Don't you worry, son," Rourke said, "this is a matter our crew needs to discuss."

Donald and Goofy gripped their weapons. The crew aim their rifles at them, but then quickly turned their attention to the lagoon.

Bubbles appeared in the water. Milo emerged, gasping for air. Rourke went to the edge of the lagoon and knelt down. Sora moved passed Audrey, to try and talk to Milo.

Cold metal slammed into his shoulder blades.

Pain.

Sora fell, gasping. His back blazed, and the agony spread down to his knees. He was too shocked to even hear Donald and Goofy's grunts behind him. Boots appeared before his eyes and a moment later, Vinne and Mole lifted him up.

"Nice work, Audrey," came Rourke's voice.

When Sora could finally breathe without fire burning in his lungs, he saw Helga holding Kida's arms behind her back. The Atlantean princess grit her teeth, struggling, but Helga's hold was firm.

Milo stomped toward Rourke.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Come on now, son. We've been here long enough, it's time to go find that crystal." Rourke showed a piece of paper to Milo.

The missing page from the shepherd's journal.

"Of course, the Heart of Atlantis. How could I have been so stupid? This is nothing but a treasure hunt for you, isn't it?"

"Well it's big, it's shiny, it's going to make us all rich."

"You don't know what you're doing."

Milo took a step. From behind Rourke, Cookie raised his rifle.

A warning.

"Listen, you think the Heart of Atlantis is a diamond, I thought it was some kind of power source, but we're both wrong. I know now. The heart is the people's life force. That crystal is the only thing keeping these people alive. If you take it away, there will be nothing to protect the people from the darkness."

"Well, Helga, you here that?"

"I'd say that doubles the price of this diamond."

Milo stomped his foot. "Don't do this."

"You scholars never want to get your hands dirty. Do you really think that all the artifacts in a museum are acquired through diplomacy? We're just doing our job of sharing Atlantis' great history with the world."

"Not interested," Milo hissed.

"That's too bad. Helga?"

Milo turned around. Helga had a pistol pointed at Kida's back.

Rourke threw Milo's clothes at him.

"Get dressed son, we've got a king to talk to."

Milo glared as he dressed.

Sora thrashed and kicked. Vinnie and Mole let him go, but Sora didn't get a chance to summon his keyblade. Audrey quickly put a pair of handcuffs around his wrists. Sora turned to glare at her, but then saw his friends. Donald and Goofy were on the ground, groaning. They were cuffed too.

"Keep those three out of our way," Rourke hissed over his shoulder.

Helga dragged Milo and Kida away. Dr. Sweet walked after them, but not before casting a look back at Sora and his friends.

With nothing left to do, Sora sat up on the ground. His head felt too big for his neck. Audrey's wrench had really done a number on him, but at least the dizzy spell was slowly going away. He heard Donald and Goofy struggle. Mole, Cookie, and Vinnie loomed over them, but it was Audrey that Sora looked at it.

Her eyes caught his and she quickly turned around.

"So," Sora began, "earlier, when you came with us to 'see what we were made of,' you were just spying on us for Rourke, weren't you? So he could know what we're capable of? So that we don't get in his way?"

Audrey's shoulder twitched.

"Wow Audrey. I thought we could be friends. You're really going to put all these lives in jeopardy. For money. You know, you remind me more of my friend now. He also made some dumb choices, hurt a lot of people, and now, he's gone."

"Sora," Goofy whispered sadly.

"I wonder if my friend regrets what he did. Will you really be happy with all that money, Audrey? I sure hope so. I sure hope hurting all these people is worth it."

Audrey's fists were clenched so tightly that her arms were shaking.

"Mole? Vinnie? Is destroying an entire city just one big joke to you guys? This is wrong. And you all know it."

Audrey groaned. She turned around, baring her teeth. She raised her wrench. Sora turned away, bracing for the blow.

The cuffs around his hands came lose.

Audrey set Donald and Goofy free next.

She gave Vinnie, Cookie, and Mole a fierce look.

"He's right. We can't do this."

Mole burst into tears. "How could I have been so blind? Oh, the riches, they forced me to make such foolish decisions!"

"Done a lot of things I'm not proud of." Vinnie counted off his fingers. "Grave robbing, plundering tombs, double parking and not paying the tickets, but no one got hurt."

Cookie sniffed, taking off his hat. "Y'all done opened this old fool's eyes."

Audrey grabbed Sora's arms and helped him to his feet. "Get up. We've got to rescue Milo."

"Music to my ears. Donald?"

"I hear ya! Curaga!"

A shower of green sparkles rejuvenated Sora, Donald and Goofy. Vinnie pulled out a few cherrybombs from within in coat. Audrey swung her wrench through the air, Cookie twirled his rifle, and Mole sniffed the ground.

"They went that way, friends! Let's go!"

When they reached the palace, the doors to the throne room were wide open. The guards lay on the ground, out cold. Rourke, Helga, and Kida were nowhere to be found. Across the room, Dr. Sweet and Milo knelt over the king of Atlantis.

Sora, Donald and Goofy stepped forward, but then a group of heartless popped up before them, blocking their path. A stick of dynomite flew over Sora's shoulder.

BOOM!

The first wave of heartless were burned to a crisp.

Vinnie, Cookie, Mole, and Audrey jumped in, rampaging on the remaining heartless.

"We got this," Vinnie shouted. "Go help the others."

"Yeehaw! Let's get 'em!" Cookie roared.

While the crew wailed on the heartless, the trio made their way across the pond to the throne. In the middle of the pond, the water had split open, revealing a deep, cavernous hole. Water fell in to the hole and vanished into the darkness below. Sora ignored it and ran to the king.

Dr. Sweet, his face twisted in concern, was pressing a stethoscope against the king's heart. The old man's breaths were low and labored.

"What happened," Sora demanded.

Dr. Sweet closed his eyes. "Rourke did this. This was never a part of the plan. That monster."

"Move!" Donald stood next to the old man. "Curaga!"

Magic showered over the king, but it didn't glow on his skin. Sora watched as the spell vanished.

"What?" Donald looked at his staff. "It didn't work?"

Dr. Sweet grit his teeth. "His wounds are too great."

The king's head looked as though it weighed a thousand pounds as he slowly shifted his gaze toward Sora. When he spoke, his voice was gurgled, as though he were drowning.

"Boy, you say that the key-holder does not bring ruin? Prove it. Go to my daughter. Please."

"Kida? What happened?"

The king's hand dropped. Milo caught it.

"Rourke and Hega took us to the Heart of Atlantis. It was hidden down there." Milo nodded toward the hole in the pond. "Kida, she," Milo swallowed. "She merged with the heart of Atlantis. Rourke and Helga took her."

"Merged? What are you talking about?"

"In times of danger," the king explained, "the crystal chooses a host, one of royal blood, to protect itself and its people."

"Chooses?" Milo shook his head. "The crystal is alive?"

"In a way. The crystal thrives on the collected hearts and emotions of all who came before us. It protects us. But we abused its power, used it as a weapon, and it led to our destruction, thousands of years ago. We had forgotten that the crystal was something that connects us, something we shouldn't use for dark purposes."

"Just like any other heart," Sora said. "So even something that powerful can be affected by darkness."

"That's why you hid the crystal beneath the city? To keep history from repeating itself?"

"And to protect Kida." The king took off his crystal necklace and placed it in Milo's hand. "Without the heart, we are lost, and if Kida remains bonded to the crystal, she will be lost as well. Please. Save Atlantis. Save my daughter."

The king took in a deep breathe. Milo, Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Dr. Sweet turned away. A light in the world of Atlantis went out.

* * *

Milo and Sora raced toward the entrance to the city. Audry, Donald, Goofy and the rest of the crew chased after them. At the bridge that led out of the city, a crowd of Atlanteans watched Rourke and Helga herd something shiny into a metal box. Sora's heart flipped when he realized what it was.

Kida.

Her hair swirled around her face. Her eyes and skin glowed the same cerulean blue as the crystals worn by all the Atlanteans. She stood like a doll, completely still as Rourke and Helga trapped her in the metal box. They bolted the box shut. Only a small, circular glass window allowed Kida to be seen from within.

By the time Sora and the others caught up, Kida's face had vanished behind a layer of frost. Just a few feet away, a shot was fired at Sora's feet. He stopped.

Helga pointed her pistol at the Atlanteans. "Don't do anything stupid, boy. You wouldn't want anything to happen to all these people, would you?"

Rourke came around the box and glared at his crew.

"Oh, you can't all be serious? You pick now to grow a conscience?"

"Rourke! Stop this. You're going to wipe out an entire civilization. And for what? Money?" Milo pointed to the people. "The city needs her."

"Get off your soapbox, Thatch." Rourke yawned. "You've read Darwin. It's called natural selection. We're just helping it along. Here, let me show you."

Rourke snapped his fingers. Heartless popped into the air in front of Milo. The Atlanteans drew back in fear. Rourke laughed. Purple smoke oozed out of his skin. Darkness.

Sora pointed his keyblade at the commander. "So you brought the heartless here."

Rourke shrugged. "This was more of a happy accident, boy. At first, these creatures were nothing more then a nuisance, but I am a very persuasive man. I sought to use them to my advantage. You know what they say, 'survival of the fittest.' Only the strong are fit to lead, to make the decisions others are too weak to make."

"You're not strong, your selfish," Milo growled.

The heartless loaded Kida's box into a military cargo van.

"Helga," Rourke shouted, "get this car rolling."

"Yes, Commander."

Helga jumped into the driver's seat. Rourke, his teeth bared in a vile grin, saluted them.

"You know," he looked at the heartless, "I think I may like these new soldiers a little better then a crew that turns on me. Maybe I'll use the money to start up a small army with my new, more loyal, soldiers."

Rourke got into the van. The heartless attacked. The Atlanteans scattered out of fear. Dr. Sweet, Audrey, Cookie, Mole, Vinnie and Milo rushed to evacuate the citizens from the area, while Sora, Donald and Goofy engaged the heartless.

Mere seconds into the fight, the ground shook. An explosion threw Sora off his feet. Up ahead, smoke and fire were all that was left of the bridge that led out of the city. Rourke and the van had vanished into the caverns, but there was no time to chase them. The heartless were still coming.

Sora ripped through the first wave of heartless with his keyblade, but another horde was quick to take their place.

"Guys, we've got to make this quick. Rourke is getting away."

They took down one battalion, and then another, and then another. Every time they took down one heartless, ten more sprang up to take its place. Sora's body ached. Exhaustion made him stop for a few seconds to catch his breathe.

Big mistake. A heartless charged at him from the left. It swiped at his side with its harpoon. He fell back, barely keeping the metal from spearing his side. The heartless drew its harpoon back, preparing for another strike.

Goofy rammed into the heartless, slamming it into the ground with his shield.

Donald regrouped with Sora and casted a thunder spell to thin out the heartless' numbers.

"We can't keep this up for much longer."

The heartless were closing in. Sora, Donald and Goofy huddled together, back to back. A shadow flashed overhead. Looking up, Sora gulped. He pushed Donald and Goofy.

"DUCK!"

A giant stone fish fell from the sky, squashing the heartless flat. Four more fish appeared, blowing the heartless away.

"Now's our chance!"

The trio brought their weapons together.

Donald's resilience.

Sora's bravery.

Goofy's kindness.

The power surged through their weapons, connecting at the center. A ball of bright light grew between them. It rose up, higher and higher into the air. Then it burst, brightening the sky, bathing everything in white light.

Caught by surprise, the heartless had no time to defend. The light seared through them all. When the brightness faded, the stone fish-shaped vehicles from Atlantis hovered around the trio.

Milo and his crew sat on top of the vehicles.

"Get on," Milo called.

Sora, Donald and Goofy jumped onto the stone fish with Milo.

Turning, Milo waved at Audrey, Sweet, Vinnie, Mole and Cookie.

"We're going after Rourke. We're going to bring Kida back to the city, or die trying."

Cookie loaded bullets into his rifle. "Saddle up, partner! Bring jerky and ammo!"

"I would have preferred a tuna. More sporty." Vinnie snapped his fingers. "Yo Milo, you get Rourke, we'll try to keep his monster soldiers busy, yeah?"

"Enough talking!" Audrey growled. "Let's go!"

The vehicles lurched forward, out of the city and into the dark caves. Up ahead, floating in midair, heartless appeared. Donald climbed up Sora's back, and sat on the boy's shoulders.

"Keep going!"

Milo zoomed toward the heartless. The creatures aimed their harpoons ahead. They charged.

Donald pointed his staff straight ahead.

"Thundaga!"

Lighting crashed though the heartless, zapping them into nothing, but there were more coming.

Vinnie threw cherrybombs into the air. Clouds of fire burst on the heartless, burning them. The crew rode the smoke.

The tunnels got wider. Something red appeared between the stalactites up ahead.

Sora hurled his keyblade through another incoming group of heartless and then gaped at the sight beyond.

A red, rocket shaped, hot air balloon was rising up toward a hole in the cave ceiling. Rourke and Helga stood in the basket. Hanging under the basket, connected by thick, metal chains, was Kida's steel box. The heartless flew around the balloon, shooting bullets of darkness at the Atlantean vehicles to keep them away.

Milo and the others flew up, down and looped in the air to avoid the attacks. A heartless crashed into the underside of Vinnie's vehicle, nearly throwing him off. In an attempt to regain his balance, Vinnie slammed his hand onto the vehicle's inscription pad, and then a blue lazer of energy shot out of the stone fish's mouth. The lazer flew through the air, slicing an incoming group of heartless into nothing.

"Okay, now things are getting good!" Vinnie shouted. "Hey, guys check this out!"

Armed with fire power, the other crew members engaged the heatless, leaving an opening for Milo to get closer to the balloon.

"Okay, Milo, any last ideas," Sora asked.

Milo swallowed. "Yeah, but really I wish I had a better idea then this!" He stood up. "On the count of three, jump."

Milo aimed the vehicle at the balloon.

"One."

Sora got up to his feet, his eyes wide. "Wait a minute! You can't be serious? Do you know how high up we are?"

"Two!"

Donald jumped up into Goofy's arms. "This is crazy!"

"I know," Milo whimpered. "THREE!"

The vehicle lurched forward.

Sora felt ice replace all the fluids in his body.

He didn't think, he didn't hear his friends wailing frantically. All he could see was the bright, red material in front of his eyes.

The vehicle was inches away from the balloon.

They jumped.

The stone fish crashed into the balloon, poking a hole in it.

Milo, Sora, Donald and Goofy fell into the balloon's basket, slamming into a surprised Helga. The entire basket tilted, nearly throwing Rourke over the side. The balloon began to descend.

Helga was the first to recover, aiming her pistol at Milo. Sora lunged and knocked the weapon out of her hand with his keyblade. Helga recovered quickly. She turned toward Sora and swept her leg under his feet, tripping him.

Donald and Goofy tackled Helga, pushing her back toward the edge of the basket. She collapsed onto the basket floor. Rourke came over and punched the poor duck and dog so hard that they flew out of the basket.

Sora stood back up in a flash. He reached out, managing to grab his friends before they fell to their doom. Leaning over the side of the basket, he had nothing to defend himself from Rourke. The big man cracked his neck, darkness coming off his skin like toxic sweat.

"I have to hand it to ya brats, you turned out to be more of a thorn in my side then I first thought. As if Thatch wasn't enough."

Milo punched Rourke's shoulder, but it was like throwing a toothpick a mountain. With an exasperated growl, Rourke smacked Milo, making him crash into the other side of the basket. The impact made the balloon tip downward even faster.

"Well, would you look at that? We're loosing altitude." Rourke cracked his knuckles. "Looks like, I have to lighten the load. Aw well, ladies first."

He reached out, grabbed Helga, and then threw her off the basket. Then he caught Sora by the scruff of shirt, and Milo by his neck and hurled them over the side. Sora's throat burned from screaming.

The ground rose up to meet him.

And then he landed on something soft.

"I got you!"

Sora opened his eyes and stared at Dr. Sweet. Looking around, he realized he was on one of the fish vehicles. Audrey was driving. She flew toward Donald and Goofy and Dr. Sweet, plucked the duck and dog out of the air.

Sora looked around desperately. "Wait, where's Milo?"

Audrey pointed. "Up there!"

Milo was standing on to the Kida's box, which was dangling under the balloon. Above him, Rourke had grabbed an ax, and was about to climb over the basket to try and slice Milo to pieces.

"We gotta help him. Get me close!"

Rourke landed on the metal box, and swung his ax down toward Milo. He missed, hitting the glass window of the box, shattering it. Dodging the attack made Milo slid down the side of the box, his feet dangling in midair.

Rourke loomed over Milo.

He drew his ax back, ready to strike again.

"You are a bigger pain in the neck then I ever thought possible! It takes a lot to get under my skin, but you win the solid gold prize, cupie doll!"

The ax sliced through the air.

The keyblade slammed into the ax's handle, knocking the ax out out of Rourke's hand. Rourke roared at Sora, but it was just enough time for Milo to grab a piece of shining blue glass from Kida's box. He reached up and sliced Rourke's bicep.

Rourke yelped. The scratch glowed. Blue and red sparks traveled up Rourke's arm. The scratch spread, like an infection, hardening Rourke's skin, turning him into a monster made of crystal. But he wasn't defeated.

The crystal commander turned toward Milo, and kicked him. Milo fell off the box. The fight had made the balloon lose more air. It was no longer floating downward. It was falling.

Audrey flew toward Milo. He landed safely on the Atlantean vehicle a few seconds before the balloon, the basket, Rourke, and Kida's box crashed into the cave floor. The impact shook the entire cavern. The shockwave nearly blew out Sora's ears. Hot smoke filled the air.

"Take us down," Milo ordered, "we have to get Kida back to the city."

Yet as they descended down toward the ground, orange light lit up floor.

From atop his own vehicle, Mole whimpered. "The volcano! She awakes!"

Red veins of magma appeared through the cracks in the stone floor. Kida's box lay on its side above it. Milo and Sora reached the box, grabbed the chain and tied it around the tail of Audry and Sweet's vehicle.

Donald screamed. "Sora, look out!"

Milo and Sora turned. Rourke's blue arm appeared from under the debris left by the balloon. He crawled out from under it, locked eyes with Milo, and let out a metallic scream. A black floating, fishlike heartless appeared next to Rourke.

Sora's feet were getting hot. His lungs were starting to choke on the air. They didn't have the time to fight.

An army of heartless surrounded Rourke. He pointed at Sora. The heartless didn't move. Instead, they turned toward Rourke, grabbing his arms and legs. The ground beneath Rourke melted and magma spewed upward, washing over Rourke and the heartless.

There was no time to think about it. There was no time to reach the vehicle. Sora and Milo jumped onto Kida's box and held on tight.

"GO!"

Every vehicle flew, top speed, back toward Atlantis.

The magma spewed out of the ground in blazing fountains.

Sora and Milo were flailed back and forth as the box flew through the air, towed by Audrey's vehicle. They flew through the caverns. Donald shot blizzard spells into the magma, but the fiery tidal wave was not slowing down.

Magma burst out of the sides of the tunnels, forcing the vehicles to make sharp turns in order to avoid getting melted. The heat scratched against Sora's skin. The space in the caves were getting smaller, but a light was shining up ahead.

The vehicles reached Atlantis. Behind them, the magma roared in from the cave entrance, where it began to flood the area below the disk that held up the city. Audrey's vehicle crashed onto a plaza.

Sora and Milo were thrown off Kida's box, but it didn't matter.

The metal sides of the box fell away and Kida floated in the middle of the city. Light filled in every crack and carving along the floors, the ruins, the walls, and soon the entire city was glowing. Giant stones, each with the face of one of Atlantis' kings, burst through the floor around Kida's feet.

She shot up into the air, the with the stones orbiting her. The stones spun around Kida, faster and faster, until they blurred into a shining star above the city. Light shot out from the star and connected to the stone golems standing along the edges of the disk. The giant golems came to life and stood at the borders of the city, where they clapped their massive hands.

A blue membrane of light grew from the hands of each golem. It spread out, shielding the city from the hissing waves of the rising magna. The light shield rose higher, covering the city in a protective dome.

The magma slammed against the blue shield. The red, hot waves climbed up onto the shield and soon the entire dome was covered. Down below, the people of Atlantis watched as the molten rock obscured everything beyond the blue shield.

There was a flash from the star. The red glow faded from the magma. The hot liquid cooled, turning black. Cracks spread through the rock, blue light shined through the openings. With a thundering boom and a flash of light, the hardened magma fell away from the blue shield.

The shield walls fell.

Water began to flow through the city again. The blue light faded from the walls and floors.

The danger had passed. The volcano had quieted.

Above them, a ray of light pierced through the silver clouds and Kida floated down from the sky. Her glow was gone. The heart of Atlantis had set her free. Milo moved closer, catching Kida before she hit the ground. She opened her eyes and looked around the city.

All was well.

* * *

Needless to say, Milo's crew were handsomely rewarded for helping to protect the city. Not only did Kida give them a vehicle that would take them to the surface, but she also made sure to pack that vehicle with as much gold as possible. Each member of the crew got a complementary crystal necklace as well.

Audrey punched Sora playfully on the arm and gave Milo a kiss on the cheek before she left.

Dr. Sweet hugged Milo so tightly that the scholar's back cracked.

Cookie gave Milo the bacon grease he had been planning to use for the whole trip, and Milo threw it in the garbage when Cookie wasn't looking.

Mole played one more practical joke on Donald by digging a hole under the duck and leaving him stuck in the ground, which made Vinnie laugh so loudly he accidentally set off a firecracker that made Donald fly out of the hole with a yelp.

After a round of laugher, the crew finished saying their goodbyes. Once they were gone, it was Sora, Donald and Goofy's turn.

"Gosh, Milo, are you sure you're not going to miss your friends," Goofy asked.

"Nope. I spent so much time trying to find Atlantis. This place already feels like my home. Besides, I still have so many secrets to uncover."

Kida reached out and held Milo's hand.

"By the way, Sora," she said, "were you able to find your friend?"

"No. We searched, but there's no trace of him."

"Perhaps I can help you. Can you describe your friend to me?"

Sora described Locke's appearance and his mannerisms. Kida looked up at the sky. The heart of Atlantis hovered in the air above the city. The heart had returned to its original form. It was now a mass of blue light that was surrounded by stones. Each stone had the face of an ancient Atlantean king. Kida's father was now among them.

Raising her crystal necklace to the sky, Kida closed her eyes. The heart flashed for a moment.

"Your friend is not here. I have searched the whole city, and the surrounding area. No one matching that description has ever been in Atlantis. I'm sorry."

"You're saying that Locke was never here?"

"Yes."

A tiny needle of pain stung Sora's heart, yet he felt relieved. If it weren't for Milo, the crew, and Kida all working together, the entire city could have been destroyed and Locke would have gone down with it. Sora shuddered to think what danger Locke may be facing if he were alone in another world.

"I guess we're just going to have to keep looking and hope we find him."

_If_ they find him. Was this how it was going to be? Was Sora going to keep making friends and losing them? Like he lost Riku? Like he left behind Donald and Goofy?

There was a pat on his shoulder.

Goofy gave him a smile. "Don't look so down. We're here with ya, I know we'll find him. And our other friends too."

"Yeah," Donald added, "there's nothing the three of us can't do together."

"Your friends are correct," Kida winked. "Just like the heart of Atlantis connects all the thoughts and feelings of my people, your heart can connect you to your friends. I know you will find them."

Sora couldn't stop the smile from spreading on his face.

"You're right. I don't ever want to break the bonds I make, like Rourke did"

Kida reached out and placed a crystal necklace in Sora's hand. "The light will always connect you to those you care about."

There was a glimmer from overhead.

A keyhole appeared in the air below the heart of Atlantis.

Raising his keyblade into the air, Sora locked the world. The water in the city glowed, the wilted plants rejuvenated and became lustrous, and Atlantis felt a new sense of peace.

* * *

**Jiminy's Journal**

Kashekim Nedakh (First Appeared in Atlantis The Lost Empire, 2001): The ancient king of Atlantis. He is now a part of the Heart of Atlantis. Though he does not trust outsiders in his city, and thinks the keyblade wielder brings nothing but ruin, he believed in Milo and Sora and begged them to save his beloved daughter, Kida.


	17. Chapter 16: Litwak's Arcade

**DISCLAIMER**: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy or any of the Disney/Square Enix characters that appear in this work. Please support the original releases.

* * *

**_Chapter 16: Litwak's Arcade_**

* * *

Sora pressed his forehead against the cold wall of the castle. The shapes beyond the thin white wall were still blurry but, if he concentrated hard enough, he could see dark red spots outside of the castle. He looked down. There was a road leading out of the castle, but it didn't look like the strange, silver platform they had walked on before.

Donald and Goofy stood behind him in silence, but Sora didn't need to ask what was on their minds. Locke hadn't been in Atlantis, which meant that he was still in the castle somewhere.

Or so Sora hoped.

He turned around to stare at the dimensional door and pressed his teeth together in a grimace. There was still the risk of opening a door to the realm of darkness. The king of Atlantis had said that the wielder of the keyblade brings ruin. If he opened the door to darkness and let a sea of heartless escape into the worlds, then he would be doing just that.

Sora felt as though he were standing between two traps. He held the ropes that stopped the axes from falling. On one side was the fate of all the worlds, and on the other were his friends and comrades. There was no way to save one or the other without letting go of one rope.

Donald and Goofy's concerned faces caught his eye and Sora blurted out all his worries.

"Since when did you become so responsible?" Donald said.

"What does that mean?" Sora growled.

"I think he means that he's proud of ya."

"Yeah, what he said."

"Proud of me? All I'm doing is standing here without making a decision."

"But you're facing a tough decision, right?"

Donald tapped his flipper on the ground. "That means that you're becoming stronger. King Mickey has to make hard choices all the time, but we stick by those choices, right Goofy?"

"Yep. Because we know that whatever he decides to do, he thought it through to the end and we know that whatever you decide to do, you thought about it with all your heart."

Sora covered his eyes.

"You guys."

He snorted.

Donald and Goofy winked.

"I don't want to leave Locke behind," Sora admitted, "but-"

"Jeez louise, enough with the pity party. I'm going to be sick. Isn't it time you get your caboose moving? Or is talking the only thing you would be _heroes _can do?"

A ripple of shock zipped down Sora's spine. He knew that voice.

Donald and Goofy readied their weapons.

Like water spilling into a sinking ship, smoke leaked out of the floor in front of the castle's dimensional door. It swirled and stretched, rising higher, until it obscured the door completely. Out of the black fog, a tall man floated out. His black lips stretched, revealing a row of shark teeth, and his yellow eyes narrowed at the trio.

He floated down the stairs to stand in front of Sora, Donald and Goofy, and quirked a thin eyebrow when the trio pointed their weapons at him.

"What? Did you forget your manners? Is that how heroes say hello nowadays?"

Donald was gripping his staff so tightly, that feathers were turning red. "What the heck are _you_ doing here?"

"Hades," Sora growled, "didn't we knock you back into the underworld where you belong?"

"Pu-lease kid. You really thought getting punted by a trio of shrimps was going to keep the Lord of the Dead down?"

"He's gotta be working with Doctor Facilier," Goofy said.

"Bingo. You know for suck a dumb looking dog, you figure things out pretty quick eh?"

"Hey! Keep your opinions to yourself!"

"Calm down, kid." Hades leaned to the side and then his entire body was floating in the air as though he were lounging on an invisible bed. "You see, I'm here to give you guys some help."

"As if we'd want any help from you!"

"Can it, unless you want to become roast duck."

"I'll show YOU roast duck!"

Donald's staff glowed a deep blue. He threw a spear of ice toward Hades' head. The Lord of the Underworld vanished and the ice shattered against the castle wall.

Hades voice echoed in the camber.

"You see, shrimps, the good doctor still needs you to do a few more things for him. And since I love a good round of revenge, I thought I'd lend him a hand."

Sora felt something grainy and cold on the back of his neck. A blast of hair slammed into his back. He went flying across the room with Donald and Goofy right behind him. The castle door opened and they were swallowed by the light.

"Enjoy the ride, kiddos!"

* * *

Sora landed face first into mud. He was about to open his mouth and spit out the dirt when he realized that the mud tasted sweet. Sora licked his lips. Chocolate?

He stared at the ground. The warm, spongy material under his hands made Sora's jaw drop. Either he was re-experiencing his six year old fantasy, or the ground was actually made out of vanilla cake. As he stood up and walked around, his head whirled in what he could only describe as the scents of every single bakery known in existence hitting his nose all at once.

Just looking at the world made Sora's teeth ache. Pink cotton candy clouds floated in the mint green sky. Chocolate egg mountains rose up in the distance and he swore he saw a forest made of lollipops just beyond the audience stand.

Audience?

Tiny, stupidly adorable, lollipop, biscuit, popcorn, mint and hard candy people were waving desperately at him. He was standing on a yellow and pink fondant paved road between what looked like spectator seats made out of candy boxes.

A pair of voices shouted.

"GET OFF THE ROAD!"

Sora turned around and stared, wide eyed at the pair of walking, talking donuts that were waving desperately at him from between the audience stands.

His fantasy was quickly turning into a nightmare. The donuts pulled out some kind of pistol and a pair of pretzel police batons from their pockets. They moved toward Sora, but the moment they put their feet on the road, something pink and glittery flew by so fast that they fell back on their non-frosted behinds.

The audience screamed, several of the mint candies covered their little, black eyes. Something purple flashed by Sora, nearly crashing into him. He watched as the purple thing careened out of control before it crashed into one of the candy audience boxes.

Racing toward the accident, Sora stared down at a go-kart made out a hodgepodge of sweets. The kart was smoking, the hood of the cart had completely collapsed, and the wheels had fallen off. A little girl in a green hoodie lay by the kart, whimpering.

Sora leaned down. "Hey! Are you okay?"

The little kid turned over and stared up. Her eyes were spinning in her head.

"Stop in the name of the law!"

The two donuts were crossing the road. Sora turned toward the girl.

"Sorry about that! Curaga!"

Green bellflowers floated over the girl, healing her bruises. The second after he had uttered the spell, Sora ducked between the audience boxes and bolted into the candyland beyond. Stopping under a candy cane tree, Sora took a moment to catch his breathe. Then a candy cane branch fell into his hair.

"Hey Sora! Get me down from here!"

Donald was hanging off a branch of the candy cane tree by the back of his shirt. He wriggled in the air, quaking angrily. With a sigh, Sora began climbing. Once Donald was free and back on the ground, Sora spotted a pair of legs sticking up from a chocolate puddle in the floor.

Donald grabbed one leg, and Sora grabbed the other. They pulled and Goofy popped out of the ground like a carrot. He whipped the chocolate off his face with his sleeve.

"Hey fellars, is it me or are we in the most delicious looking world ever."

He picked up a candy cane brach from the floor and crunched it between his teeth. A lollipop was growing like a dandelion by Donald's feet. He pulled the lolly from the ground and began munching.

"Guys!" Sora huffed. "We don't have time for sweets! We've got to find the door back to Castle Oblivion and beat information out of Hades."

"You three! Stop right there!"

"What now?" Sora groaned, turning around.

The donuts had caught up. They pointed pink pistols at the trio.

"You three are under arrest!"

"For what?" Sora smirked. "Have I robbed a bank? Stollen some dough?"

Donald and Goofy wheezed with laughter.

"Ah-yuck! Good one!"

"Sora, are you trying to get us thrown in the fryer?"

"Hey, I don't want to go to jail. It's cold in there. I don't want to get frosty."

"Yeah, Donald. Donut worry."

The tall, eclair cop with brown glaze adjusted his aviator glasses. "Oh you think that's funny? Duncan?"

The ring-shaped donut had a mustache made of frosting. When he smiled, the frosting cracked a bit. "I hope you three like sticking together."

He raised his pistol and fired. A blob of sticky, pink, strawberry scented goo slammed into Sora, Donald and Goofy, covering every part of their bodies but their heads. Sora wriggled, which turned out to be a bad idea. The goo pressed on him and seemed to get more solid the more he struggled.

"What is this stuff? Taffy?"

"Yep. Criminal proof taffy. Let's roll boys."

Eclair cop kicked the ball of taffy and Sora, Donald and Goofy yowled as the world spun.

* * *

Sora had been on some wild rides since he had left the Destiny Islands. He had surfed on some jungle vines, he had driven a space ship through fleets of heartless, he had even learned how to fly, but nothing had ever made him feel as sick as being rolled to the dungeon in a taffy ball. Wynnchel and Duncan, the two donut police officers, had thrown them into a jail cell.

Sora looked around the chocolate brick walls and door. There was a window with pretzel sticks for bars. He pulled and stretched in the taffy, but the candy had hardened. It was like being trapped in a jawbreaker.

"Give it up, Sora," Donald moaned, "it's not use."

"We can't stay stuck like this. We have to get back to Castle Oblivion as soon as possible."

"But we don't know where the door is," Goofy said.

"Stupid Hades," Donald seethed, his face turning red, "stupid taffy!"

There was a chuckle.

"Aw, poor diaper baby. Having a tantrum?"

Sora looked at the cell window. A little girl was lying down behind the bars. He recognized her. It was the girl that had almost crashed into him on the race track.

She looked completely relaxed, with her jaw in her hands and her legs kicking up behind her.

"Who are you calling a baby, you baby," Donald snapped.

The little girl rolled over, giving them an upside down smirk.

"You guys aren't from here, are ya? What game are you from?"

"Game?" Sora repeated.

"Yeah, game? You know, the world we live in? Duh. Are you usually this much of a space cadet, or are you just programmed this way?"

"Listen, kid-"

"The name's Vanellope, spike-boy."

"Spike-boy?"

"Yeah, cuz your hair looks like it could pop a balloon."

"Okay. Do you know a way to get out of this pink, taffy, thing?"

"Sure do."

"Really? How?"

"I mean I could tell you, but then what would I get out of it?"

Sora grit his teeth. He resisted the urge to retort and ask why she was so freakishly annoying, but he decided to take a deep breathe instead.

"Uh, I don't know. We'll just owe you a favor."

"What are your talents?"

"Magic," Donald said.

"Defense," Goofy added.

"And I can open pretty much any lock."

"Bingo, we have a winner!"

Vanellope rolled back over onto her feet and ran away from the window. Sora heard her muffled voice in the distance.

"Hey, ham hands! Help me with a jail break, will ya?"

A giant fist smashed through the window. Pieces of the pretzel bars and chocolate walls, scattered all over the cell. Instead of dust, powdered sugar filled the air, making it smell dizzyingly sweet and salty. Sora, Donald and Goofy's taffy ball rolled over to the side.

The dust cleared and Vanellope popped into the cell. A giant of a man entered the room behind her, making the jail cell feel incredibly small. His huge feet appeared in front of Sora's eyes as he lifted the taffy ball up onto his shoulder.

With his free arm, he smashed another hole through the cell wall, and out they went. They stopped in a field of cake pop dandelions. The big man put down the taffy ball and then pulled his arm back.

Then he lightly punched the taffy ball and it splintered into a billion pieces.

Vanellope clapped. "Nice job."

"Ah, it's really no big deal," said the big man, "they don't call me Wreck-it-Ralph for nothing."

Sora, Donald, and Goofy stretched and rotated their joints.

"Man, I've been in some tight spots before, but nothing like that."

Donald rolled his eyes. "Enough with the puns, Sora."

It didn't take long for the two of them to start a glaring match, and while they were staring each other down, waiting for one or the other to make a wrong move, Goofy went up to Vanellope and Ralph to thank them for busting them out of jail.

"Ah, don't sweat it. Those two dough-heads will throw anyone in jail these days. Just want to feel like their doing their civic duty and all that."

Ralph frowned. "You know, kid, as president, shouldn't you have a talk with them and tell them not to abuse their power like that?"

"Yeah, I really should." Vanellope shrugged. "Aw well, maybe later. We've got a factory to bust into, remember? Hey spike-boy and duck!"

Sora and Donald stopped glaring at each other in favor of glaring at Vanellope,

"We've got names you know."

"Yeah, yeah, save the introductions for later. It's time to talk terms."

Sora squinted at Vanellope. Everything about her screamed sweetness. Her black hair was up in a ponytail and was tied with red licorice. Her hair accessories were gum drops and sprinkles. Her mint-green hoodie had strawberry string tassels, her skirt was made out of peanut butter cup wrappers, her stockings looked like green candy canes and even her boots had red frosting on the soles. So how did such a cute little girl have so much sass?

When she stood next to Ralph she looked even smaller, but Sora had no problem believing that Vanellope was a force to be reckoned with, even with Ralph standing nine feet tall next to her. He was big and beefy, with freakishly big hands and feet. His brown hair stuck up on his head. His wore a plaid, red shirt with ripped off sleeves. He seemed too big for his burgundy overalls, because one of the straps was broken.

Vanellope moved around the trio, sizing them up.

"So, you said you can pretty much open any lock? How?"

"With this!"

Vanellope stared at the keyblade and then at Sora with a look that said, "really?"

"I've seen some dumb video game weapons before. A sword that is way too long to reasonably exist, a shark gun, even a guy that uses a water pollo ball as a weapon. But a sword key? That's new."

"Keyblade! Wait, video game?"

Ralph and Vanellope exchanged looks.

"Did you hit your head there, professor?"

Ralph gestured to the world around them. "You know, the games in the arcade. Where we are? Did you guys just get plugged in or something?"

"Wait, you're saying we're actually in a video game? Like one of those black and white hand-held electronic toys?"

"Ah-doi there, Captain Obvious."

"Could you excuse me?"

Sora called Donald and Goofy in for a huddle.

"Okay, first off all, on the one hand, this is crazy cool! There are no games this amazing on my island! On the other hand, are there worlds within electronics?"

Donald shrugged. "The universe is huge. Anything can happen, I guess."

Goofy shrugged. "I mean is it really that strange? We've seen all kinds of crazy things on our adventure."

"This isn't the time to worry about that though." Donald said. "Remember Hades?"

"Oh yeah. We should look for him after we finish helping out Ralph and Vanellope. There's no telling what kind of damage he could do."

The meeting was over. Sora leaned down so that could look Vanellope in the eye.

"Okay. What do you need?"

* * *

Kairi wheezed. Each breathe felt as though she were inhaling fire. Across the castle throne room, Mary sat in one of her portable silver chairs, reading a book. Without looking up from her page, she waved her conductor's baton and a ball of light flew through the air. It rushed toward Kairi, ready to crash into her.

Kairi rolled to the side and felt the comet fly past her. She scrambled to her feet and chanted the spell she had been practicing.

"Thundara!"

Lightning attacked the orb of light, making it vanish.

More comets appeared, circling around her. They all attacked at once and there was no time to dodge, and no spell to counter the attack, except one.

"Reflect!"

A sphere of magic glass surrounded Kairi. The orbs hit her shield, and bounced off. Kairi let the shield drop and fried the remaining orbs with a lightning spell. She waited for another round, but instead of orbs flying at her face, she heard clapping.

"Well done, Kairi."

Mary put away her conducting baton, waved gestured for Kairi to come over.

Catching her breathe, Kairi sat down across from her teacher. There was already a cup of ice tea waiting for her. Kairi stared into the sweet, berry tea that was swirling in her mug, resisting the urge to put her head on the table and relax. She was used to waking up early, going to school, and then spending the rest of the day doing homework, or lazing off with Sora and Riku (when they were around), but Mary's teaching was nothing like going to class.

Her first lesson had nothing to do with magic. Mary had simply taken Kairi to a world inside one of the castle's paintings. There, Kairi and Mary had taken in a stroll in the country side. When Kairi tried to ask Mary what walking had to do with magic, there was a sudden rainstorm.

A few children had been out on the road, playing in the rain when a bolt of lightning struck a nearby tree. The children panicked. There was another lightning strike on the road, as though the storm clouds were specifically targeted the kids. Mary opened her umbrella, flew toward the children and guarded them with a reflect spell, but one of the children was too far away to be shielded.

Kairi leapt forward, grabbed the child, and waited for lightning to strike, when, to her surprise, the lightning bounced off her own reflect spell. After that, the storm vanished, and then it was just practice, practice, practice until Kairi could perform the reflect spell without even thinking about it.

It was nearly impossible to say "no" to Mary Poppins. Despite the sneaky way she taught her lessons and the hours of training she put Kairi through, she was always pleasant. There was always a break that involved treats and tea, or a moment to play a game, like flying a kite, or going horse back riding in one of the castle paintings. She even tricked Kairi into learning how to do the lightning spell by taking her out for a picnic by the lake.

Mary, Minnie, Daisy and Kairi spoke about how to contact Yen Sid, the castle's day to day activities, magic and elemental properties, and bla bla bla. After stuffing her face with picnic food, Kairi was so full, and the idle talk had gotten so boring that she had stared out into the lake water in a daze. She would have fallen asleep if it weren't for the giant crocodile that suddenly broke through the surface of the water and tried to take a bite out of their picnic.

Kairi was in such a panic that she screamed the first spell she could think of, which happened to be the last spell she had heard Minnie and Daisy talking about before she zoned out. The thunder spell smacked the crocodile across the face and it slithered back into the water.

A hand on her forehead brought Kairi back to the present.

"Hmm, you aren't ill. Well then, is there a reason you are out of sorts?"

Kairi took a sip of her tea. "I was just '_reflecting_' on my lessons."

Mary didn't laugh, although her smile had a sneaky quality to it, which made Kairi wonder what kind of lesson she had planned for her next.

"So have I, and I must say you are advancing quite nicely."

"Really?" "Yes dear. You are agile and can think on your feet. Both good qualities to have for magic users." Mary took a delicate sip of her tea and then slammed down the cup in her saucer. "But it is not enough. This will never do."

"Did I do something wrong?"

"Not at all."

Mary stood from the table and walked toward the middle of the audience hall. She opened her carpet bag and pulled out her umbrella, as well as a thick, heavy, black book. "Give this spell book to Majesty Minnie, would you? There should be a spell that will allow her to send messages to sorcerers."

Kairi took the book, "So we're finally going to try and contact Master Yen Sid, the man in King Mickey's letter?"

"Correct. Though there is no guarantee we will get a response." Mary opened her umbrella. "While I'm gone, practice your magic with Queen Minnie. I will see you shortly!"

With a gust of air, Mary vanished.

* * *

Vanellope and Ralph led the trio through a factory that lay at the base of some ice cream mountains. They stopped in front of a door.

Sora's heart flipped in his chest.

Black smoke oozed from the door, covering the doorknob.

Darkness.

"See behind here, is the kart making factory." Vanellope explained. "Earlier, when you decided to make the dumb decision to walk into the middle of the the race track, you made me completely wreck my kart."

Sora rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry."

"Ralph and I came back here to get a new kart, but this weird black stuff doesn't let us go through. I think the game may be glitching again."

"That's no glitch," Sora whispered to Donald and Goofy.

"We know," they whispered back.

"Do you think it might be Hades' work?" Goofy asked.

"Or the heartless?" Donald added.

"Hey, you three got something to share with the rest of the class?" Ralph said.

Sora shook his head. "No. Anyway, you need me to open this door, right?"

Vanellope snapped her fingers. "That's the plan, key-boy. Come on, bust it open."

"I don't know if this is a good idea."

"Hey, you owe me, remember?"

"Keep an eye out for heartless," Sora whispered to Donald and Goofy.

He raised his keyblade and aimed it at the door. A beam of light disintegrated the darkness and the door opened up. Sora followed Ralph and Vanellope into a dark, circular room where every wall was covered with a red curtain.

Vanellope stepped on a red button in the center of the room and paintings of go karts lit up on the curtain. "Select your kart" was written in rainbow letters over every picture.

"Ready for the minigame Ralph?" Vanellope asked.

"Bring it on, kid."

Vanellope jumped and high-fived one of the paintings. The curtains opened up, reaving a massive bakery beyond. Some kind of long, conveyer belt, factory machine lined the wall of the huge room.

The raspy voice of an announcer boomed overhead. "Welcome to the bakery! Let's bake a car!"

"What is this? A game within a game?" Sora asked.

"It's a minigame," Ralph and Vanellope said.

"Gawrsh, this looks like fun!"

Goofy jinxed it.

A row of go-kart shaped heartless, with yellow eyes for headlights, appeared between them and the game. Above, flying cupcake-shaped heartless were twitching in the air. Sora, Donald and Goofy readied for battle.

"Ralph, Vanellope, take cover!"

A cupcake heartless flew at Vanellope. Ralph jumped in front of her and punched the heartless into nothing.

"You have one minute to win it," the announcer said.

"Ralph? What are you doing? Get her out of here!"

"We can't leave!" Vanellope shouted. "The game's already started!"

Ralph pointed to a steering wheel on top of a platform in front of the minigame. "Vanellope, play the game! I'll handle these guys."

Sora chased after Ralph. "Not alone you won't! Donald, Goofy, help Vanellope!"

"MIXING!" The announcer screamed. "Put the ingredients in the bowl and throw away the trash!"

Cupcake heartless floated over the first section of the mini game. There was a see-saw under a tube that released trash and ingredients onto it. One side of the see-saw led into a trash can and the other led into a bowl. Across the game, Vanellope was using a steering wheel to move the see-saw, trying to tip the ingredients into the bowl.

The heartless pressed down on the see-saw in the middle of the mixer, making it hard for Vanellope to move the steering wheel. One of the heartless threw a pair of underpants and a hairbrush into the bowl.

Ralph and Sora jumped up onto the see-saw. Sora hurled his keyblade at the floating heartless, smacking them away. A heartless car crashed into the base of the game's conveyer belt, making Sora and Ralph lose their balance.

"Keep the game going!" Ralph ordered before he jumped off to thrash the heartless cars below.

"Sora, cupcake at three o' clock!" Vanellope shouted. Sora turned around and smacked his keyblade at the heartless like a base ball bat. It went flying, but the game was still going.

"Oh no!" Goofy pointed. "The milk and eggs! You're going to miss them!"

From above his head, trash and ingredients kept falling. Sora pushed eggs and milk into the bowl, while kicking away fishbones and cans. He managed to get a bag of flour in the bowl as well before a heartless flew at his head and he let a pair of old socks slip through.

The bowl began to move down the conveyer belt of the bakery machine.

"BATTER UP!"

A pair of cake mixers came down and began to mix the ingredients in the bowl. From across the room, Vanellope, Donald and Goofy sprinted to the next section of the game. Down below, Ralph smashed the last heartless and chased after Sora into the next section.

"BAKING! Pump up the heat and hold the perfect temperature."

The cake bowl entered a giant, red oven. On the side of the oven there was a thermometer with markings that read, "too cold, just right, too hot." Across the room, there was a pump that was connected to the thermometer. Vanellope and Goofy worked together to push air through the pump while Donald defended them from flying heartless.

Meanwhile, flying cupcakes were slamming against the oven glass. Sora jumped up onto the oven and threw fire spells left and right, keeping the heartless away from the glass. Ralph caught up and slammed a few heartless into the ground, but he missed one. It hit the glass, making it crack. The temperature of the oven went down from "just right" to "too cold."

The timer was now down to twenty seconds.

"I got this!" Donald raised his staff. "FIRAGA!"

A fireball went through the hole in the glass and the oven dinged. "Just right."

Vanellope raced to the next section of the game. "Come on, guys! Fifteen seconds!"

A baked go kart came out of oven. It was being moved by the conveyer belt. Above it were glass candy dispensers filled with all kinds of candy and frosting.

Across the room, Donald and Vanellope fired gumdrops from a golden gun. The gumdrops hit the targets on the glass dispensers and four cake wheels fell down onto the conveyer belt where they were attached to the kart.

Too bad a bunch of heartless also appeared on the conveyer belt in front of the kart. Ralph and Sora, stood on either side of the kart, protecting it from heartless. There was only five seconds left. The last heartless neared the kart. Ralph punched it and sent it flying. It crashed into the glass candy dispensers above. The glass bottles broke, throwing all kinds of candy, sprinkles, frosting, glaze and jam all over the baked kart.

But it didn't matter. The kart made it to the other side of the conveyer belt and that was when the game announcer called out, "Time's up!"

Vanellope, Donald, Ralph, Sora and Goofy gathered in front of the garage door where the kart was supposed to come out.

"Congratulations, you did it! And here's your kart!"

The door opened up and Vanellope's kart came rolling out. It didn't look anything like the pretty and streamlined pictures they had seen back in the curtain room. Instead the headlight gumdrops didn't match; one was white, and the other was red. The kart was covered in messy, purple and chocolate frosting with sprinkles all over it. The wheels were all mismatched biscuits with gummy worms as the tires.

Donald and Goofy hung their heads. "Sorry, Vanellope, we really tried."

"What are you talking about?" Ralph laughed.

"Yeah! It's perfect! It looks exactly like the kart I had before! I love it!"

"You do?" Sora said. "Sweet!"

Heartless popped up in the air just in time to ruin Sora's good mood.

Vanellope jumped into the driver's seat of the kart. "Get on!"

Sora, Ralph, Donald and Goofy piled up on the kart. Vanellope slammed the accelerator and they sped out of the factory. Ralph sat on the back of the kart, punching incoming heartless away while Vanellope drove.

They escaped out of the factory into the cake hills. More cupcake heartless flew at the kart from every angle. Sora and Donald knocked them back with magic, while Goofy boomeranged them with his shield.

Vanellope veered off toward a vanilla wafer bridge. Across the bridge, a giant cake rose up from the ground. Except it wasn't a cake. It was a heartless, and it's lower tier opened up to reveal a mouth with candy corn teeth. It was just waiting for them to drive right into it so that it could swallow them whole.

"Vanellope! Gun it!" Ralph yelled.

Donald quacked. "Are you crazy?"

"We're gonna get swallowed!" Goofy covered his eyes.

"Just watch! You got this, kid."

"You're dang darn right I do! Hold on!"

Vanellope pushed the kart's stick shift forward and the kart sped up toward the giant heartless cake's open mouth.

Sora fingers dug into Ralph's shoulder. The heartless' long, fruit-ribbon tongue stuck out, and Vanellope grinned.

Sora felt a weird tingly feeling, as though he had just come apart and was put back together in an instant. He patted himself down to make sure he was still whole. Then he looked around. They weren't in the gut of a giant, cake heartless. In fact they were racing away from it at top speed on the other side.

It was as though they had phased right through it.

"Wait? What happened? How did we get here?"

Vanellope laughed. "One minute I'm here, one minute I'm there! I am the greatest racer with best glitch superpower in the game!"

The kart blinked in and out, popping from one area only to reappear several paces ahead, as though Vanellope had made it jump through space. She swerved to a stop and turned around to pin Sora, Donald and Goofy with a grin.

"That was totally awesome! You guys can really fight!"

"You're not so bad, yourself," Donald said.

"Yeah! That was some fancy drivin', ah-yuck!"

Ralph raised his hand high and Sora gave him a high five.

"So," Sora began, "what do you plan to do now?"

"The race you crash landed into was postponed, so I have to go back and teach that Taffida what-for before the arcade opens."

Ralph put a hand on his head. "Oh man! It's that time already!"

"What time?" Donald asked.

"The arcade is going to open in a few hours. You guys better make sure to be back in your game before that happens."

"But we can't leave _Sugar Rush_ just yet," Sora said.

"Right, we're looking for someone."

Vanellope shrugged. "Well, I got time. I'll drive you around."

"Thanks. But I don't want you to miss your race. Donald, Goofy and I will go our separate ways for now."

The trio got off of Vanellope's kart. Before they left, Ralph gave them a salute.

"See ya round boys! Make sure to come by the race track before the arcade opens."

"You got it."

Ralph and Vanellope rode off.

* * *

_**Jiminy's Journal**_

Hades (First Appeared in Hercules, 1997): The hot-tempered Lord of the Dead, Hades is a manipulative god that who's actions are always self-serving. Sora and his friends teamed up with Hercules to put a stop of Hades' schemes back in Olympus Coliseum, but how and why is he in Castle Oblivion?

Wynnchel and Duncan (First Appeared in Wreck-It Ralph, 2012): Two donut police officers that try and keep order in their sugary video game. Wynnchel is a tall, éclair cop while Duncan is a shorter, ring shaped shaped donut. They seem to get annoyed very easily, especially at sweet puns.

Vanellope von Schweetz (First Appeared in Wrech-It Ralph, 2012): A sarcastic and mischievous little girl that can really tear up the racetrack. She also has a special glitch superpower allows her to teleport through objects and space. When not racing, you can find her goofing off with her best friend, Ralph.

Ralph (First Appeared in Wreck-It Ralphm 2012): A nine-foot-tall lumberjack that can break anything that's unlucky enough to be in front of his massive fists. Ralph is more of a laid back, gentle giant that enjoys spending time with Vanellope in her game. He doesn't seem to mind getting into all kinds of trouble.


	18. Chapter 18: Good Guys and Bad Guys

**DISCLAIMER**: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy or any of the Disney/Square Enix characters that appear in this work. Please support the original releases.

* * *

_**Author's note:** Let's play, "Guess the video game references."_

* * *

**_Chapter 17: Good Guys and Bad Guys_**

* * *

Vanellope's game, _Sugar Rush_, was infuriating. Sora, Donald and Goofy scoured every inch of the sweet world, but found no clue as to whether or not Hades was around. After getting lost in a jungle with laffy-taffy vines, a swamp full of gum drops, and an ice cream sundae tundra, the trio were as sick of sweets as they were of searching.

With nothing better to do, they went back to the race track, just in time to see Vanellope cross the finish line and win first place. A blonde girl in a pink helmet came in second, and she clearly wasn't too happy at her loss because she sat in her pink go kart and cried obnoxiously.

"Oh, stop cryin' Taffida." Vanellope said as she got out of her kart. "There will always be next time. Oh wait, no there won't, because I will beat you, every time!"

Taffida sniffled through a stream of mascara blackened tears. "Whatever, Glitch. Next time, you'll eat your words."

The other racers drove off, leaving only Vanellope on the track. She drove toward Ralph and jumped up to smack his palm with a high five.

"Great job kid! Top of the roster, three days running!"

"Naturally." Vanellope winked. "The arcade is going to open soon. You'd better get going. See ya, chump!"

Vanellope drove off just as Sora, Donald and Goofy approached Ralph.

"Hey, you guys are back. Want to head back to Game Central Station together?"

"Uh, sure," Sora said. "Hey, Ralph, is it okay if we stick by in your game for a while? No one, really, uh, plays our game much, and we still have some work to do."

"Fine by me," Ralph shrugged, "come on."

Ralph led the trio up a rainbow ribbon road and into a chocolate egg mountain. Once they passed under the chocolate arch, the sugary motif was replaced by what looked like a subway station. The walls were made of metal instead of cake batter. In the middle of the room was a railway that went into a long tube made exclusively out of electrical wires.

Ralph and the trio sat down on the tram in the middle of the railway. The tram lurched and then moved smoothly through the tunnel. Sora watched the sparks fly along the wires until they stopped at another platform. The trio jumped off the tram and followed Ralph through an arch that led into a bigger station.

Just as they passed the archway, an alarm went off, and a blue man in a security officer's uniform zapped into being.

Ralph groaned. "Come on! Again?"

"Step aside sir," said the officer, "random security check."

"Security?" Sora repeated.

The security guard clicked a pen and opened up his note pad. "I'm just a surge protecter doing my job."

"Yeah, sure you are? Why do you always stop me?"

The guard ignored Ralph's question. "Name?"

"Wrech-it Ralph."

"Where did you come from?"

"Didn't you just see me come out from _Sugar Rush_?"

"Where are you headed?" "_Fix-it Felix Jr_. Haven't we done this enough times for you to know already?"

"Anything to declare," the surge protector continued. "You're annoying."

"I get that a lot. Proceed."

The surge protector zapped away.

"What's his problem?" Sora huffed as he followed Ralph into a cavernous, open lobby that was labeled "Game Central station."

It didn't take long for Sora to forget the incident all together as a slew of colorful game characters drew his attention. All over the station, different game characters were moving from platform to platform. There were so many that Sora wasn't sure what, or who, to gawk at first. Tortoises with spiked shells chased after short mustached man in a red shirt and blue overalls. A kid walked by with a cute, yellow, electric mouse on his shoulder. Golfers, tennis and basketball players huddled together in a corner. A zombie with mushrooms growing out of its face walked around, making clicking sounds.

A purple dragon and golden dragonfly fly overhead. A martial artist with hair-buns was in a sparing match with muscular, four armed man with a top knot. A monkey in a red baseball cap gave a piggyback ride to his his blond, ponytailed girlfriend. A redheaded woman raced by on a robot horse. A blue hedgehog zoomed by so fast, Sora almost didn't see him. A jet did a barrel roll in midair and Sora swore he saw a fox in the pilot's seat. A square, line and l-shaped block bounced on the floor. A bounty hunter with a plasma-gun for an arm walked next to an blond elf-boy with a sword and shield. A beautiful woman with a braid sat on one of the benches, polishing her two pistols. A man in army fatigues hid under a cardboard box. And finally, a young dragonmaster walked by with a white, talking, winged cat flying right behind him.

It would have been much more fun to keep staring at all the video game characters if Sora didn't realize that most of them were moving away from his group, hiding behind benches, or darting away quickly whenever they neared.

"What's the big idea?" Donald huffed. "Why are they all avoiding us? Never seen a boy, a dog, and duck before?"

'No," Ralph sighed. "It's me. This always happens."

"Why?"

"In my game, I'm the bad guy. My job is to break the building and it's Felix's job to put it back together."

"Oh, so that's why the game is called _Fix-it Felix Jr_."

"Yep. The people in my game have started being a little nicer to me, but most members of the arcade still think I'm nothing but a bad guy."

Sora walked backwards in front of Ralph.

"Forget those guys. We know you have good inside. You may be the bad guy in your game, but you're cool in my book."

'Here, here," Donald and Goofy added.

Ralph grinned. "Thanks, but it doesn't bother me much anymore. I don't really care what everyone thinks of me as long as I've got the coolest friend in the world waiting for me back in _Sugar Rush_."

"Coolest friends in the world," Sora repeated.

He stared at Donald and Goofy for a moment. If the two of them hadn't been on this journey with him, Sora was sure he never would have accomplished half the amazing feats he had set out to do. Through out all the battles and the crazy shenanigans they got themselves into, it would have meant nothing if Donald and Goofy weren't next to him. And soon, he hoped, he could share his adventures with Riku and Kairi again.

Donald caught him staring. "What are you lookin' at?"

Sora leaned forward. "You got something on your face." He flicked Donald's beak.

Donald chased Sora all the way to the tram that led to Ralph's game. Goofy eventually convinced the duck to calm down just as the tram made its stop in _Fix-it Felix Jr_. Ralph's game was a lot simpler then Vanellope's. Instead of an expansive, colorful country made entirely out of desserts, the game was set in perpetual night. An apartment building made out of red bricks stood tall over a perfectly trimmed lawn and flower beds.

In the sky, right in front of the apartment building was a giant, orange screen, and, on the other side of the screen, Sora could see the interior of a gaming arcade.

"Well, fellas," Ralph said. "This is it. I'm going to get into position just in case a player comes to start the game. I suggest you finish what you need to do and get back to your own game quickly."

"We will," Sora said.

Ralph went to stand next to the apartment building. Sora, Donald and Goofy checked every corner of the world for suspicious activity but were interrupted when a loud voice screamed from the sky.

"QUARTER ALERT! QUARTER ALERT!"

A child's face appeared in the screen in the sky. From his place next to the building, Ralph raised his arms and yelled. "I'm gonna wreck it!"

Ralph jumped onto the windowsills of the apartment building and began smashing the windows and the walls. The residents of the apartment building lined up in the windows and cried out.

"Fix it, Felix!"

On the other side of the apartment building, a short man in a blue, button down shirt, baseball cap and jeans raised his golden hammer in the air.

"I can fix it," he proclaimed.

On the screen, the child stuck out their tongue as they began playing the game. Felix moved from window to window, fixing broken glass with his hammer while avoiding the bricks and debris that crashed down from above. Ralph climbed higher and smashed the walls of the building with his fists.

"Wow," Sora said, "Ralph really is good at breaking stuff."

"Oh no!"

Goofy pointed to the backside of the building.

A group of monkey heartless were climbing the walls.

One of the windows blew out from the side. A resident of the apartment slammed into the grass lawn at Sora's feet. Without a second thought, Sora chanted a healing spell. He helped the resident sit up.

"Are you all right?"

"Ow," the resident rubbed his head. "What kind of monsters were those?"

"What happened?"

"I was playing the game like usual and then one of those creatures came up from behind me and blasted me out of the my apartment! Oh no!"

The resident grabbed Sora's shirt.

"You can't let those creatures appear in front of the game screen! If the players notice something wrong in the game, they might think the game is broken and we might be unplugged!"

Sora looked at the building. The side windows showed some of the residents panicking as they ran from the heartless inside their apartments. Up in front, Ralph punched a heartless into the building to keep it from appearing before the game screen. The gamer behind the screen squinted into the game, suspicious.

Even Fix-it-Felix's smile twitched nervously as he continued to be controlled by the player.

Sora, Donald and Goofy snuck behind the building, and climbed up into the holes the heartless had made when they got in. Inside one of the apartments, a resident was cowering on their couch, throwing whatever they could get their hands on at the heartless.

The monkey jumped around, knocking down all the pictures on the walls, throwing over vases, chairs, anything that wasn't pinned down. It then jumped toward the window. Donald and Goofy tackled the heartless, slamming it to the rug. Sora dashed forward to help finish the job, but another heartless appeared right behind the resident.

Sora reached out, grabbed the resident's hand and then sliced through the heartless the second she was out of the line of fire.

"Oh thank you," the resident sobbed. "There's more in the apartment across from me! You have to keep them away from the windows! We can't let the players see them!"

Sora threw open the apartment door and ran into the next unit. Donald and Goofy chased him once they had destroyed the other heartless. They split up into the different rooms. The resident in the next apartment was running around in circles inside own kitchen, ducking from the heartless that kept trying to claw him from the ceiling fan.

Sora hurled a fire spell at the fan, and the heartless fell down, bursting into flames and leaving nothing but ashes behind. He then ran into the living room to fight a group of heartless that were jumping on the couch and coffee table. Sora sliced through two of the three heartless, but one of them got near the window.

A fist from outside obliterated the heartless before it could leave the room. Ralph stuck his head in from the window.

"Sora! Quick! There's more on the penthouse floor! The player is almost there!"

Sora dashed out of the apartment and ran up the stairs. The heartless had completely trashed the upper floor. He sliced through the first round of enemies, blasted through the second, but didn't catch the next four creeping up behind him. They threw him down onto the ground. Sora rolled and slammed against the window.

The heartless nearly tumbled out, but Sora grabbed two of them by the ankles and pulled them back in the room, but with his hands full, he didn't have the keyblade to defend himself and another heartless came at him, slamming him through the open window. Sora grabbed the sill with one hand, and the tails of the monkey heartless with the other. The heartless thrashed, trying to get free.

He looked at the screen. The player didn't spot the heartless because they were hanging out of the window that was three levels above where Ralph and Felix were still playing the game. The player smiled, passing a hard round and the game screen moved up.

Ralph looked up and saw Sora and the heartless dangling from the window. He looked down. Felix was still fixing the mess two levels below. One more level up and the player would see Sora and the heartless.

"Sorry, Felix," Ralph whispered.

He brought his arms back and destroyed six windows at once. The bricks rained down on Felix, and the player was not fast enough to dodge. A brick slammed on top of Felix's cap. Felix fell over and lay flat on the window sill, holding a flower in his hands.

There was a loud, angry announcement.

"GAME OVER!"

The player on the other side of the screen threw up his hands in annoyance. Then he walked off. Sora released the heartless he was holding and let Ralph pummel them as they fell down. He breathed in a sigh of relief for all about one second before another heartless stuck its head out the windowsill he was holding onto.

A fist slammed into the heartless' face, throwing it back into the room. Ralph grabbed Sora's hood and pushed him back into the penthouse.

"Now this is one infestation that I never saw coming. Let's take them down. Jump on, kid."

Sora climbed onto Ralph's shoulders. The big man bulldozed through the heartless, tossing them up in the air where Sora sliced them in half one by one. Nearly done, Sora spotted a heartless climbing up the stairs that led to the roof. He jumped off Ralph's shoulders.

"I got the ones down here! Go get the ones on the roof!"

Ralph gave Sora a thumbs up and began climbing the stairs.

A heartless crawled up the steps, chasing Ralph. Sora hurled his keyblade at it, breaking it and part of the stairs. The rest of the heartless switched targets and Sora prepared to defend himself.

Up on the roof, Ralph destroyed the last heartless. He was about to climb back down and lend Sora, Donald and Goofy a hand when a wall of blue flames light up all the sides of the apartment building.

"What the-"

Ralph reached out to touch the door that led back down to the penthouse, but the blue flames jumped out at him, pushing him back.

"Now, slow down there big guy, or you will ruin the show," someone said.

Ralph looked around the roof and spotted a pillar of blue fire. A tall, shadowy man with a head of blue flames waltzed out of the fire.

"Who are you?"

"Hey there, the name's Hades, Lord of the Dead. Hi, how are ya doing?"

Hades extended his hand. Ralph took a step back and brought up his fists.

"You're the guy wrecking _my_ building, aren't you?"

"Hold yer horses there, lumberjack, I haven't done nearly half as much of the destruction you have today. Yeesh! Bad move," Hades grinned wickedly, "from a bad guy."

"The real bad guy here is you!" Ralph charged forward and aimed a punch at Hades' head, but only ended up hitting the air. The blue flames surrounding the building vanished.

Hades reappeared in front of the roof access door. He opened the door and the residents of the apartment building spilled into the roof.

"Ralph! What were those creatures," said one of the residents.

"What's going on, is our game broken for real this time?"

"My apartment is in ruins!"

"Ah, you poor, poor home owners," Hades sighed.

The residents turned around and screamed.

"It must be so hard living in this world, knowing that you're only a second away from losing your home to that brute. Oi."

"What are you talking about?"

"Why those creatures of course. See, they're attracted to darkness, and what better source of darkness," Hades pointed at Ralph, "then the bad guy."

"NO!" Ralph yelled. "I didn't do anything!"

"I mean, destroying that wall so that you can hit that poor fixer-upper down there and force the player lose the game on purpose? Couldn't you think of a better way to solve the problem then to throw the game's hero under the bus? I mean bad habits die hard, right?"

"HADES!"

The Lord of the Underworld winked. "Well, I've leave these nice folks to clean up the mess. I've got some robotic bugs to go see."

He vanished.

By the time Sora, Donald and Goofy caught up to Ralph, the residents of the apartment building had already lifted Ralph up and thrown him off the roof. Ralph slammed into the mud puddle down below.

* * *

Queen Minnie placed Mary's thick textbook on the desk in the library. Kairi watched as she flipped through the pages until she found a picture of a pointy, blue hat with stars. Raising the wand in her hand, Minnie closed her eyes.

A cold breeze swept through the library. Minnie's feet left the ground. The room dimmed. A blue glow casted shadows over the books, and the air twinkled with artificial stars. Minnie twirled in place. Silver rays of light sparked out of her wand.

The rays gathered into a ribbon that slowly morphed into a glittering scroll. With her wand, Minnie wrote something on the parchment. Minnie tapped on the scroll twice and it rolled itself up, flew up toward the library ceiling, and vanished.

Once Minnie's feet were back on the ground, the library had returned to normal.

"There we are. I hope the scroll reaches Master Yen Sid."

"Do you think he will know where the heartless machine is," Kairi asked.

"If anyone would have such foresight, it would be him." Minnie opened a drawer in the library desk and put away the wand. "Now then, Kairi, how are your studies going with Mary?"

Kairi fidgeted. "There aren't really any lessons. Magic just sort of happens when I'm hanging out with Mary."

Minnie giggled. "Well that's Mary for you. You can never tell what she's thinking."

"She told me to practice with you until she comes back."

"Oh my. Mary has you advancing faster then I thought if she believes you can practice with me."

Kairi blushed.

"Well, we're going to need a bigger space then this. Meet me in the throne room."

On the way to the throne room, Kairi worried about the message Queen Minnie had sent to Master Yen Sid. The queen had told her that Yen Sid was a powerful wizard that had once taught King Mickey. The only problem was that no one had heard from him in over ten years.

Kairi winced. Over ten years. That was before Hollow Bastion was taken over by the heartless. She paced in the throne room. If Yen Sid could tell her how to travel between worlds, could she travel freely to Hollow Bastion? Memories of her original world were still hazy, but just maybe...

Kairi shook her head. She needed to focus on other things. As soon as she finished her magic training, she was going to go out into the worlds and look for Sora.

The door to the throne room opened and Minnie and Daisy walked in. Minnie had exchanged her pink and red gown for a regal, red tailcoat, white skirt and boots. Her crown was replaced a pink ribbon tied behind her head. Daisy on the other hand had opted for a lavender skirt and pink dress shirt. She wore golden bracelets around her wrists.

"Wow, you two look amazing."

"Naturally," Daisy winked.

Minnie tapped her wand in her palm. "It's much easier to manage in then formal attire. Well then, shall we begin."

Daisy stretched. "Oh, I haven't had the chance to exercise in ages! This will be fun."

"You're joining too?"

"Why the surprised face? My fire magic could give Donald a run for his money. Let me just show you what I can do!"

Daisy hadn't been kidding. Within seconds she hurled several fireballs at Kairi. Jumping to the side, Kairi raised her arm and threw a water spell at Daisy. Minnie jumped in front of the duck and waved her wand. A line of pearls appeared in the air. The orbs flew through water spell, disintegrating it. Minnie summoned more pearls and it wasn't long before a dozen of them flew straight at Kairi's face.

Kairi protected herself with a reflect spell. The orbs bounced off her shield but did not vanish. Minnie conducted the light pearls around the room, making them zoom at Kairi from every angle. They broke through her shield. Soon, Kairi was dancing around orbs and fire spells, looking for an opening to attack Minnie and Daisy.

Her chance came when the two of them separated to flank her from both sides. Kairi threw a water spell at Minnie, but the mouse's body glowed with light. She raised her hand high in the air, and a whirlwind of light pushed the water back.

From behind her, Kairi felt something hot. She ducked just before Daisy's fire spell could hit the back of her head. Watching the fire spell hit the wall, Kairi remembered Oswald's words.

_ Imagine the sun in your chest. _

Kairi concentrated, imagining the flames coming out of her body. She said the incantation, but nothing happened and she had to run to avoid getting hit by another round of spells. How was it that Minnie and Daisy could look so cute and harmless yet be completely ruthless at the same time? Kairi's back hit the wall of the throne room and she gasped. Daisy slowly approached her, a fire spell already glowing between her hands. Kairi threw up a reflect spell. The fireball crashed into her shield, but the heat of the spell passed through. The warmth sprinkled across her chest and neck.

Minnie's light orbs slammed one after the other against Kairi's shield. Cracks appeared in the reflect spell. The shield broke.

One more time.

Heat.

Campfires on the beach in Destiny Islands.

Hot sand under her toes.

Kairi raised her hand and chanted. "FIRA!"

Several balls of fire erupted from her hands. They flew outward, crashing into the light orbs. The magic exploded, and threw Kairi back into the wall, but she was too happy to care, or feel the burns on her arms.

"I did it? Yes! Oswald, I finally did it! I did a fire spell!"

Kairi wanted to cry. If only he had seen her.

Minnie and Daisy stopped their attack. They exchanged looks.

Daisy tapped her forehead. "Oswald? We never did research why that name is so familiar, now did we?"

"I vaguely remember reading that name in one of the books at the castle library."

Kairi, still celebrating, raised her arm and summoned another fire spell. The spell zoomed around the throne room. Kairi threw a water spell at it and watched gleefully as the spell vanished.

"Well done Kairi," Minnie said. She raised her wand and a healing spell sprinkled over Kairi's arm, healing the burns.

"We're not done are we?" Kairi asked. "I want to practice my new spell."

Daisy tapped her fingertips together. "Your Majesty, what do you say to a battle royal?"

Minnie giggled. "Oh I haven't this kind of fun in ages. Now, Kairi, the key to light magic is..."

* * *

"Oh my land! Ralph, what happened? Are you all right?"

Ralph picked himself up from the mud puddle and stared sadly at Felix.

"You'd better stay away from me, Felix, before I throw another pile of bricks at you."

"But that wasn't your fault! If you hadn't made that quick decision, the gamer would have spotted those monsters and would have reported our game as out of order."

"That's not how the nicelanders see it."

Speak of the devil.

The nicelanders all piled out of the building and swarmed Felix.

"Get away from him, Felix, before he ruins another good thing."

"Lucy, if you would please calm down and listen to what Ralph has to say."

"But Felix, we should have known he would revert to his old ways sooner or later."

'That's enough!"

Sora, Donald and Goofy squeezed through the nicelanders to stand between them and Ralph.

Sora spread his arms wide. "You big jerks! Ralph's quick thinking is what saved your game!"

"And where did those creatures come from huh? No one here has any darkness. Of course they would be attracted to the bad guy."

Donald stomped his flipper. "That's not true!"

"Ralph may be the bad guy of this game, but there's not a single shred of darkness in him," Goofy said.

"Yeah, he even fought the heartless off for all of you."

The nicelanders were done listening. One of them even stuck his nose in the air at Sora's words. They turned to Felix.

"How much hammering is going to fix this mess?"

Felix looked up at the building and sighed. All the windows were broken. So many of the walls had collapsed inward that it was a wonder the building was still standing. To top if off, the broken pipes leaked water into the units, flooding the already messy floors.

"I'd better start fixing all that before we get mold. You all go back to your apartments. I'll start at the ground floor and work my way up."

The nicelanders all went into the building. Felix turned around to face Ralph.

"Let me talk to them. I think they're just stressed from everything that happened today."

"Why bother," Ralph stomped away, "they'll just start treating me like a disease again."

Felix ran after Ralph.

"Listen, you're an integral part of this game. Logically, it makes no sense that you would try to ruin it on purpose. This is your home too. I think today's events just made the nicelanders want someone to blame. Don't lose hope, okay."

Ralph stopped. "Fine. I'll do it for you Felix. Thanks for vouching for me. And you guys," Ralph pointed at Sora, Donald and Goofy, "that was really nice of you, thanks."

Sora grinned. "Anytime."

Felix ran back to the building and it wasn't long before the windows and the broken walls on the bottom floor were magically fixed thanks to Felix's golden hammer. Ralph watched Felix work before he walked toward the tram that led back to Game Central Station.

Sora fell into step next to Ralph.

"What happened up there?"

"Some wierdo who calls himself the King of the Underworld, that's what."

Donald quacked. "That's Hades!"

"Gawrsh, he IS here."

"You know him?"

Sora's eyes narrowed. "Let's just say that he's from our game and unlike you, he's not a bad guy because it's his job. He's a bonafied villain."

"Why would he want to destroy my game?"

"We don't know, but we have to stop him."

"Already on it, kid." Ralph sat down on the tram. "That Hades fella mentioned something about robot bugs. There's only one game in the arcade that has that. Strap in boys, we're going to go talk to Felix's wife."

* * *

Kairi stretched her sore muscles, enjoying the feeling of the cool lawn grass under her arms and legs. Too bad the relaxed feeling of the topiary garden only added to her boredom. It had been days since Mary Poppins had left. Once her daily sparring matches with Minnie and Daisy were over, Kairi had way too much free time. Minnie and Daisy had royal duties and could only spare time in the morning to train her.

It was like being back at the islands. Day after day, she would go to school, come back home, miss Sora and Riku, worry about Sora and Riku, play half hearted games with Selphie, Tidus and Wakka, and then spend the rest of her nights doing absolutely nothing, except maybe homework. Never in her life had she wished she had something to actually do!

Wish granted. Mary's face appeared overhead.

"Taking a nap?" she said.

Kairi stood. "No, I was just, uh..."

"I heard you have indeed been practicing with Majesty Minnie. Brave of you. She doesn't hold back."

Kairi blushed.

"Well, since you seem perfectly rested, would you like to continue your studies?"

"Yes, please!"

"Good."

Mary moved toward the topiary castle in the garden and waved someone over. Kairi heard the clacking of armor. A castle guard Kairi had never seen before walked into to the garden. He bowed to Mary Poppins.

"Young man, take that helmet off, spit spot. We don't cover our faces when introducing ourselves."

The guard flinched. "Sorry."

He pulled off his helmet.

Kairi stared. "No way. Don't tell me!"

The young dog looked at her with a confused expression. "Uh, what?

Kairi pointed at the two buck teeth sticking out from under the boy's lips.

"You're totally Goofy's son! You have to be!"

The boy's eyes got wide. "Wait, you know my dad?"

Mary cleared her throat. "Well, let me be the one to introduce you two. Kairi, this is Maximilian Goof."

"Just Max is fine."

"He's going to be your sword instructor."

"What? Sword instructor?"

"Dear girl, what did you think those two gauntlets were for?"

* * *

_**Jiminy's Journal**_

Fix-it Felix Jr (First Appeared in Wreck-It Ralph, 2012): The titular hero of the _Fix-it Felix Jr._ video game. It's Felix's job to fix what Ralph wrecks and, with his magic golden hammer, he is more then equipped to do just that. Felix is easy going and an all around nice person. He treats Ralph with more respect then the residents of the apartment building Ralph routinely has to destroy.

The surge-protector (First Appeared in Wreck-It Ralph, 2012): The security guard that patrols Game Central Station for suspicious behavior. He seems to have it in for Ralph.


	19. Chapter 19: A Hero's Duty

**DISCLAIMER**: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy or any of the Disney/Square Enix characters that appear in this work. Please support the original releases.

* * *

**_Chapter 18: A Hero's Duty_**

* * *

The arcade was still in full swing when Ralph and the trio made it to Game Central Station. The empty terminals didn't stop the surge protector from stopping Ralph when he walked out of _Fix-it-Felix Jr_, and then again in front of the other terminal that led into a game labeled _Hero's Duty_.

After a round of annoying questions, Ralph, Sora, Donald and Goofy boarded a bullet train that led them into a military base. Big, beefy soldiers ran around the base in a panic. Their thick, metal and cybernetic armor didn't seem to slow them down. The soldiers ran into a smokey room where a red alert was flashing. A voice boomed throughout the base.

"QUARTER ALERT. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. QUARTER ALERT."

One of the soldiers ran by the bullet train and then skit to a stop, aiming his lazer rifle at Ralph.

"What are you doing here? You know Sergeant Calhoun's orders: no more game jumping during work hours."

Ralph put up his hands. "I'm not here to game jump or take over the game, I just want to talk to Calhoun."

There was another alarm. The automated doors of the smoky room had begun to close.

"Oh no! The player has started round two! I have to go." The soldier pointed at the train. "Go back to your own game! You can talk to the sergeant after the arcade closes."

Sora watched the soldiers rush into the room, desperately preparing their rifles for battle.

"Is this place always in such a panic?"

"This is one of the more violent and scary games in the arcade." Ralph put his hands in his pockets. "Guess we just have to wait until the player gets a 'game over' before we can talk to Calhoun."

Donald paced about the room, looking at the old, scratched machinery and the big, red buttons and levers along the wall that had the words, "warning," and, "pull in case of emergency" written above them. Thick wires were built into the walls of the base. The bolted doors that led into the game were reinforced with steel clamps on each side to lock them shut.

Donald couldn't help going up to one of the doors and knocking on the metal. Something knocked back from the other side. Donald took a step back. The knock turned into a bang. The door burst apart.

A giant, four-eyed, beetle monster with metal armor, neon-green wings and a glowing tail buzzed into the room. It pounced on Donald, the pincers around its mouth opening wide.

Ralph was the first to react. He darted forward, punching the creature off Donald. The giant bug slammed against the metal door, but it recovered quickly and flew toward the bullet train. Ralph tried to jump on the bug, but despite its size, the bug was fast. It neared the tunnel that led back to Game Central Station.

"Sora, don't let that thing leave this game!"

Climbing on top of the bullet train, Sora managed to grab the bug's glowing tail. It didn't take long for Sora to realize that he was no match for the bug's strength. His feet slid along the roof of the train and he would have been pulled off his feet it Goofy hadn't grabbed his waist and pulled him back.

While Sora and Goofy played tug of war with the bug, Ralph grabbed Donald, put the duck on his shoulders, and jumped up into the air above the train. From above, Donald sent a fire spell that slammed into the bug's wings, pushing it down. Sora and Goofy jumped out of the way. Ralph came down on the bug with his fists, crushing the bug into the roof of the train.

The bug burst into mist and the number 100 appeared in the air for a second. The mist cleared, and all that was left of the bug was the dent on the bullet train.

Ralph shook his fists. "That was close!"

Donald jumped off Ralph's shoulders and nudged the dent with his foot. "What was that?"

"A cy-bug. And they're bad news. If even one of those monsters gets out into another game, the entire arcade could be in jeopardy. They're like a virus. They don't know they're in a game. All they know is to multiply and destroy. Sugar Rush was almost unplugged because of these things." Ralph stared at the door the bug had burst through with wide eyes. "Wait a minute? How did one of these things escape?"

"Gee, do you think the soldiers might be in trouble?"

Sora jumped off the train. "Let's go check."

Ralph broke down the door that led deeper into the game. As the party rushed inside, the soldiers shouted.

"Beacon up! Beacon up!"

They ran out of the military base and onto a bleak, harsh, war torn landscape. The dark sky could barely be seen through the mist in the atmosphere. Sharp spearheads of rock rose up from the ground. The world was unfit for life to grow, and in the distance, a single, cold, steel tower looked down over the battlefield.

Light shot up into the sky from the top of the tower. Swarms of cy-bugs flew toward the light, where they were vaporized the instant they touched it. The soldiers didn't pay any attention to the beacon. They raced passed Sora, Donald, Goofy and Ralph back into the military base.

A tall, slender woman stomped toward the party. Her blond, bob-cut hair stuck out in the dark blues and shades of grey in the surrounding area. She tilted her head to the side, moving the long bangs out of her eyes, allowing her to glare daggers at Ralph.

"Wreck-it, what the H-E-double hockey sticks are you doing here?"

Ralph stammered, "Well, we needed to..."

The woman bumped Ralph's shoulder as she passed him. "I don't have time for your blubbering, princess. A cy-bug broke out of the containment area."

"Don't worry about that," Sora said, "we already took care of it."

When the woman turned around to pin Sora with a tough, no-nonsense look, he wished he hadn't opened his big mouth. Her athletic build and the red and black cybernetic armor she wore made Sora feel like she could beat him with nothing but her pinky finger.

"Who are you?"

"We're Sora, Donald and Goofy, um, ma'am."

"That's Sergeant Calhoun to you, small-fry." The woman narrowed her eyes at Ralph. "What, you're a tour guide now? I thought we agreed that there would be no more game jumping during the arcade's open hours and here you are bringing these rookies in? You know how dangerous this game is!"

"But I have something important to ask you!"

"I don't have time for this. Another player could start a new game any minute and now I have some weird creatures to worry about."

Sora jumped in Calhoun's way. "Wait. These creatures, do they have these red, heart-shaped emblems on their bodies?"

"Yes. And it's thanks to those things that one of the cy-bugs got away. Now I have to spare the manpower to keep an eye out for those creatures before either the gamer realizes something is wrong or the cy-bugs get loose and destroy everything they touch. You three," she snapped, making Sora, Donald and Goofy stand stiff, "explain your objective. How do you know about those creatures?"

"They're from, uh, our game. Let us help you fight them."

"Negative. If the players see you, they could think our game is broken. The four of you stick out like vegetables on a chocolate cake."

"But we can help you! Let us keep those heartless out of your way so that your game can run smoothly!"

Ralph put up his hands. "He's right. You don't want another cy-bug escaping because of those things do you?"

Calhoun pinned each one of them with a searing glare. Finally she sighed. "Fine! Just stay out of sight of the first person shooter. If the players see you, we're as good as unplugged."

Another quarter alert shook the base. Calhoun reached up behind her back and pulled out a lazer rifle. She checked her weapon and then called out to her soldiers.

"All right ladies, back to start positions!"

Ralph and the trio followed the soldiers back into the deployment room. The automated doors closed up behind them. The room glowed with a red alert.

A robot with a screen for a head drove by. Words and numbers flashed on the robot's screen: game start in ten...nine...

"First person shooter coming through," the soldiers shouted, moving out of the way of the robot.

Calhoun tilted her head toward Ralph and the others.

"Keep those creatures under control. You have your orders!"

"Yes ma'am!"

Sora, Donald, Goofy and Ralph made sure to stay behind the robot as they stood in the tight space of the deployment room.

"We are humanity's last hope," Calhoun spoke to the first person shooter. "Our mission: destroy all cy-bugs. Are you ready rookie? Let's find out."

The automated doors behind Calhoun opened up. Cy-bugs filled the war zone behind her. Calhoun ran out into the swarm. The first person shooter followed her. The soldiers charged, shooting at the cy-bugs in the air.

Ralph ran in, punching and stomping down on any cy-bug that was on the ground. Sora, Donald and Goofy followed his lead, ripping through the bugs with no mercy while keeping an eye out for heartless.

A shadow moved on the floor where it wasn't supposed to be. Sora spotted it moving toward one of the soldiers. The man was too busy busting up cy-bugs with his lazer-gun to notice the heartless sneak up between his legs. Hands shot out from the ground, and in the next second, the mole heartless had made the soldier lose his balance.

A cy-bug flew down at the soldier. Its mouth opened, the razors in the bug's stomach rotating like a blender, ready to shred the man into pieces. Sora threw a blizzard spell at the bug's head and it knocked the beetle back, giving him enough time to slide by the man's legs and slash the heartless.

The guard took his chance and shot the cy-bug while it was still confused. The bug blew up into a hundred points.

"Thanks," the soldier said to Sora.

There was no time to talk. More mole heartless appeared in front of the door that led back into the base. The monkey heartless that had spawned in _Fix-it-Felix Jr._ also appeared by the door.

"Don't worry about the cy-bugs," the soldier said, "we can handle them. Make sure none of those creatures weakens the door." He roared back into battle, toward Calhoun and the first person shooter.

"Sora, let's split up," Goofy said. "Donald and I will protect the doors! You and Ralph make sure none of the heartless appear in front of the first person shooter."

"Got it! Ralph, let's go."

Never before had Sora wished that the player would hurry up and lose the game. He and Ralph punched and sliced through heartless and cy-bugs alike, ducking and jumping around the first person shooter's vision. The soldiers doubled down, helping Sora and Ralph fight. Even Calhoun took shots at the heartless when the first person shooter wasn't looking. The swarm was getting worse, the gamer had almost made it to the tower to get to the next level of the game.

A heartless appeared right behind the first person shooter and clawed at the machine. Calhoun jumped over the robot and shot the heartless before it could be seen by the player, but that left the first person shooter wide open from the front. A mole heartless was already on the attack.

Ralph spotted the heartless moving in the dirt and did the first thing he could think of. He picked up Sora by the scruff of the boy's neck and said, "I hope you can make this shot kid."

"I got it, just throw me!"

Ralph hurled Sora through the air. He flew toward the first person shooter and pushed it down, blocking out the screen for a second in order to slice the heartless on the ground. The robot got up and moved toward the tower just as Sora was out of sight.

Almost there. The first person shooter's line of sight was smaller. There was more space to maneuver. The soldiers, Sora and Ralph all ran forward, taking down heartless and cy-bugs. The player entered the building.

The level was over. A light shot out from the top of the tower.

"Beacon up!"

All the cy-bugs' eyes widened and filled with a blue glow. They moved toward the light as though they were tranced, but there were still heartless on the ground to deal with. Calhoun worked with Sora, Ralph and the soldiers to take care of them. When the battle was finally one, Calhoun rested her lazer-gun against her shoulder and smiled for the first time.

"Nice work, rookie."

Sora straightened. "Thanks, ma'am."

"At ease, soldier. And Ralph, I've got to hand it to you, that was some fighting."

"Thanks. Do you think you have time to talk now?"

"Sure thing. Let me get my men in position in case the gamer loses and then we'll talk. Head back toward the base."

When Ralph and Sora met back up with Donald and Goofy, they were relieved to know that none of the cy-bugs had breached the base. By the time Calhoun came back, the gamer had won the final level and the game had reset. The soldiers all went back to their starting positions. Some of them even gave Sora and Ralph a fist bump as they passed by.

Then the party was alone with Calhoun outside the base.

"You said you needed to talk about something important?"

"_Fix-it-Felix Jr._ was attacked by those monsters earlier," Ralph explained.

A flicker of worry crossed Calhoun's face. "I see. What's the status of the game?"

"Don't worry. Felix is fine."

"Good."

Ralph explained about Hades and how he suspected that the Lord of the Dead may be coming to _Hero's Duty_.

"I haven't seen anyone matching your description, but I will keep my men informed. We'll find that son of a gun and beat him senseless."

"Aw, aren't I popular."

Hades popped out of a cloud of smoke behind Calhoun. The sergeant didn't miss a beat. Immediately she turned and aimed her rifle at him. Without hesitating, she fired. Hades snapped his fingers at the same time. He vanished into smoke and then reappeared in front of the base door.

"I gotta say, that was quite a show back there, but did any of you lamebrains think to check inside the tower?"

Calhoun growled. "What?"

Hades brought something out from behind his back. It was a glowing, neon-green egg.

"No!"

The egg hatched, and a tiny cy-bug popped out. Calhoun shot at Hades' hand, but he raised his arm. The lazer missed.

"Is it true," Hades said, "that these monsters become what they eat?"

A mole heartless appeared in Hades' other hand. The cy-bug jumped at it and swallowed it whole. It began to mutate, turning from a metal beetle into a smoky bug with six yellow eyes. The pincers around its mouth elongated, thorns grew out of its exoskeleton.

"Now there's a good cy-heartless," Hades cooed. "I know just the sweet treats to get you growing big and strong. Smell ya later, zeroes."

Hades and the cy-bug vanished.

* * *

Ralph raced ahead of Sora, Donald, Goofy, Calhoun and Felix into the archway that led into _Sugar Rush_. Sora was one step into the game before a concussive blast nearly blew out his ear drums. He fell backward into Donald and Goofy, knocking his friends over like a bowling pins. Behind them, Calhoun held Felix's hand, keeping him steady.

Chunks of rock sugar, candy dust, and smoking cookie crumbs burned and itched on his skin. Sora had to cover his eyes when he wobbled to stand behind Ralph. The big man's back shielded him from the debris, but the aftershock of the explosion still made Sora's knees buckle.

Ralph's voice trembled. "Oh no."

"What is it?"

Ralph pointed.

Sora moved around him to stare out into the horizon of _Sugar Rush_. In the distance, what looked like a giant soda bottle mountain was burning. Green smoke and melted sugar blasted out of the sides of the bottle, sending boiling, hot soda over the cake and ice cream environment. Hot coals rained down from the sky, leaving steaming craters all over the world.

The bottom of the coke bottle blew open. This time, the resulting shockwave nearly threw everyone off the bridge. Sora swallowed hard at the sight of millions of cy-bug heartless flying up from the wreckage at the base of the cola bottle.

Calhoun growled. "Doomsday and Armageddon just had a baby and it is ugly."

Felix took off his hat to wipe the sweat from his brow. "How did the cy-bugs multiply this quickly!"

"It must be the effect of the heartless," Sora said.

Ralph turned around sharply, his face ashen. "That was diet cola mountain. If that's destroyed then-" Ralph ran down the rainbow bridge. "We have to evacuate the game!"

"Way ahead of ya! Felix, hop on!"

Felix jumped onto Calhoun's hoverboard and the two of them flew down into the race track. With Calhoun controlling the hoverboard, Felix shot gren lazer blasts up in the air, blowing up the comets that were raining from the diet cola mountain's eruption.

Sora, Donald and Goofy sprinted to the race track.

The denizens of _Sugar Rush _were in a state of total panic. Several candy people ran by the trio, and they were the lucky ones. In seconds, the cy-bug heartless crashed down from the sky and began picking off racers and candy people alike. One of the donut cops flew over Sora's head. He flailed widely in the air and shot the bug-heartless with one of his taffy guns.

Bad idea.

The taffy weighed the bug and then both it and the police officer were plummeting to the ground. Sora jumped, and managed to wrap his arms around the cop. They landed in Donald and Goofy's arms.

"Thanks kid," the éclair cop panted when Sora put him down.

"You can thank me by helping us evacuate!"

"On it! Move it, people, let's go!"

Calhoun and Felix flew overhead. "Get to the track," they shouted.

Ralph was down by the finish line, flipping over the carts and rescuing the trapped racers. The kids ran the moment they were free, but Vanellope was no where in sight. Ralph grabbed a racer with a candle on her head.

"Vanellope, have you seen her?"

"Her cart got blasted in the direction of the taffy swamp when the explosion happened. That's all I know, I swear!"

"What? I'm not going to hurt-you know what, forget it. Get out of here!"

The racer joined the other evacuees while Sora, Donald and Goofy chased after Ralph.

"We're going with you!"

But Ralph was already running off and a dozen bug-heartless hovered by the trio. They began to terrorize the citizens. Ralph disappeared into the chaos while Sora, Donald and Goofy had no choice but to fight.

Ralph's lungs felt as though they would burst. But he would not stop. He raced into the candy cane forest.

Vanellope.

He had to find Vanellope.

They had to escape the game.

He dodged chocolate meteors that rained down from the sky. He pummeled any cy-bug heartless that was stupid enough to get in his way.

Keep running.

Don't stop.

Find her!

The sugar particles burned his dry throat like acid. Just ahead, green lakes of taffy bubbled under the trunks of the candy cane trees. Something purple was sticking up from the swamp water.

Ralph skid to a stop, grabbed the purple thing and pulled it out. It was Vanellope's kart. He jumped into the swamp, searching, begging, wading through the thick syrup of the taffy. When he came up for air, he heard a voice that twisted his guts.

"Now this is what I call a party! If this were my place, my Underworld would be so full, there would be no standing room."

Ralph wiped off the taffy from his face so he could bare his teeth at Hades.

"You, turbo fire-headed piece of dirt! Where's Vanellope?"

Ralph charged, and threw a punch at Hades, but the slippery villain vanished into a cloud of black smoke.

"For a bad guy, you really do care about that annoying ankle bitter."

Ralph followed the voice and spotted Hades lounging on one of the candy-cane branches above.

"Do you really think she could be a friends with a bad guy like you? I mean, you almost destroyed her game once, right?"

Ralph roared.

He jumped and couldn't wait for his fist to smash in Hade's smug face.

"Whoa, now hold yer horses there."

Hades snapped his fingers, and Vanellope appeared between him and Ralph's fist.

Ralph's fury evaporated, his fist stopped millimeters away from Vanellope's nose. He fell down into the swamp.

"Ralph!" Vanellope called. She kicked the air in front of Hades' face.

"Put me down, fart-head, before I blow out that flame like a sad birthday cake candle!"

"Ugh, see this is why I don't like kids."

Down below Ralph sputtered out of the taffy.

"Please," he begged, "let her go."

Hades shrugged. "Okay."

Vanellope fell.

A cy-bug heartless plucked her out of the air.

"NO!"

The bug rose up into the sky.

Ralph jumped from tree branch to tree branch, trying to reach Vanellope. She glitched out of the heartless' hold, only to be grabbed by another one.

Just a little higher.

Just one more jump and Ralph would be close enough to help her.

Hades appeared in his way.

"Let's see you dodge this one."

Hades snapped his hands. Balls of fire appeared all around Vanellope.

Hades reached out, and flicked Ralph on the nose.

As Ralph plummeted, he saw the fireballs, and the heartless converge on Vanellope.

There was an explosion.

* * *

Sora, Donald and Goofy watched as something fiery burst above the forest straight ahead. Seconds after the blast, something green flashed in the sky for a moment. Then Vanellope appeared out of thin air. Then she landed in a heap on the ground, out cold.

Sora, Donald and Goofy caught up to her. Vanellope wobbled, but was able to stand. Panting, she grabbed Sora's wrist to steady herself.

"I don't I've ever glitched like that before!"

"What happened?"

Vanellope's face turned red. "That stupid fart-head is still bullying Ralph! We've got to back and save him!"

They found Ralph standing in front of the taffy swamp. His back was turned, and he was holding completely still. Vanellope moved toward him, but Sora grabbed her hand and pulled her back.

Darkness wafted out of Ralph's shoulders. The plaid on his red shirt blackened like ink stains on a painting. When he turned around, his arms hung limply in front of him, his eyes glowed yellow, and his skin darkened to a dusty grey.

Someone clapped.

"I got to hand it to ya kid. Thought for sure that last attack would ice a little squirt like you. Doesn't matter though."

Hades appeared next to Ralph.

Vanellope shook. "You! What did you do to him?"

"I didn't do anything. In fact, you did, kid."

"What are you talking about?"

"Poor Wreck-it Ralph. All he ever wanted was a friend. And when he thought that his best friend was lost, well, it was just the perfect condition for darkness to seep in."

Vanellope glitched forward, appearing in front of Ralph.

"I'm fine? See? It'll take more then some lame fireballs and bugs to stop me."

She reached out and tried to hold Ralph's hand.

Ralph's fist flashed forward, pounding the dirt.

Sora's heart wrenched. "Vanellope!"

She glitched and appeared on the ground in front of him.

"Nice try kid."

Black smoke obscured Ralph and Hades. As they vanished, Hades' laugher hung heavy in the air.

Not wasting any time, Vanellope ran toward her kart, which was still laying on its side next to the taffy swamp. She pushed the kart over got into the driver's seat.

"Get on! I'm going to pound that blue moron, if it's the last thing I do! No one messes with my friends!"

As soon as the trio piled onto her kart, Vanellope was speeding through the pandemonium. She glitched through obstructions and ran over any heartless in her way, while Sora and Donald provided cover from the cy-bugs above.

Driving by the track, Vanellope veered off from the road that led out of the game. Before Sora could even ask what she was doing, he saw Ralph standing under the finish line, attacking Felix and Calhoun.

Vanellope stood up on her kart while it was still moving. She jumped, and glitched onto Ralph's back. Sora, Donald and Goofy jumped off the kart just in time to watch it crash into Vanellope and Ralph.

The attack wasn't slowing down Ralph's frenzy. He lunged and tried to throttle Calhoun and Felix, while Vanellope hung on, begging him to snap out of it.

Felix barely ducked a boulder that was thrown at his head. "Ralph, what's gotten into you?"

Calhoun rushed Ralph and managed to knock him over. Sora, Donald and Goofy grabbed the big man's arms and legs, trying to hold him down. It was like trying to stop an incoming train with pure will alone. Ralph thrashed and before long Sora was out of breathe with the effort of restraining him.

Felix climbed onto Ralph's chest and tapped him with his golden hammer. For a split second, Ralph stopped moving. Then he bucked, throwing Felix off. Calhoun tried to help wrestle Ralph down, but it was no use. Ralph was seconds away from throwing them all off. Worse, they were sitting ducks. All it would take was one cy-heartless to come crashing down and it was game over.

Hades appeared and Sora would have roared with frustration if he wasn't using all his strength to hold Ralph still.

"You know, I hate to say it, but I'm kind of getting bored. I mean this kind of destruction is great and all, but I really wish I was dishing it out back home at Herc-the-jerk."

"Hey, Lord of the Underpants! No one asked for your garbage opinion," Vanellope snapped.

Hades flicked something out of his ear. "I'm sorry, did you say something?"

"Are you so stupid that you went deaf for a second there?"

Hades' blue flaming hair, burned red for a second. "You little." He sighed, his flame cooling down. "You know what, kid-"

"You know what kid," Vanellope repeated in an annoying voice.

"Are you mimicking me?"

"No genius, I'm complimented your mom."

"Hey Hades," Donald snapped, "why don't go back to the hole you came from?"

"Yeah, if you haven't noticed," Sora grunted, "we're kind of busy here. Go annoy someone else."

Hades burst into red flames.

"How about I solve your problem by burning all of you at once!"

A pillar of fire burst out from the ground. It moved toward Ralph, leaving Sora and the others no choice but to let him go and dodge. The flames threw Ralph back and he crashed into the audience stands.

"Felix, Calhoun, Vanellope. Take care of Ralph. We'll handle Hades."

For all the adrenaline rushing through Sora's veins, he wasn't quite sure how he was going to fight Hades with the swarm flying overhead. He didn't have too much time to think about it because Hades started chucking flaming balls of magma at them. Sora and Donald dodged while Goofy blocked with his shield. Goofy raced toward Hades while Sora and Donald flanked him, shooting out blizzard spells.

Hades grinned, disappearing just at the right moment. The two blizzard spells hit each other and the blast sent Sora, Donald and Goofy, flying. Hades appeared in the air above them, and readied another fireball.

Something green flashed, and in the next second, Vanellope glitched behind Hades and dropped her kart right on his head. Hades fell forward, the kart bouncing off him and crashing on the ground. He was wide open. Sora smacked his keyblade across his face. Goofy threw Donald in the air and the duck slammed three blizzard spells down on Hades' back.

Hades burst into flames, the fire pushing back the trio. He spread his arms wide, and pillars of fire burst out from his fingers. A giant scoop of ice cream came plummeting down from the sky. It squished Hades, leaving a steaming pile of cream where the fiery god had been moments before.

"Why don't you cool off," Vanellope said as she glitched back down on the ground.

Hades burst out of the ice cream. His eyes, his hair, and even his shoulders burned red with flames. Then he simply laughed.

"Cool off? Think I will." He snapped his fingers.

Thousands of the cy-bug heartless flew down from the swarm above.

"You know what, I'm get tired of this show. Think I'll just let the swarm take care of the rest. Ta-ta!"

Hades vanished into the swarm.

Sora ducked as cy-heartless rained down from the sky. He sliced through one wave of heartless before something slammed into him from behind. In the next second, Sora was on the ground with a cy-heartless hovering over him. He tried to attack with his keyblade, but the heartless clamped down on the weapon with its pincered mouth.

Donald and Goofy were busy, each fighting their own dozen heartless. Vanellope could only glitch and escape, and Sora looked into the mouth of the heartless as it tried to swallow him whole.

Something black and grey bulldozed into the heartless, knocking it off Sora. Standing back up, Sora watched Ralph stomp the heartless into the ground. His target defeated, he turned and charged at Sora.

Sora raised his keyblade, preparing to defend. Vanellope glitched onto Ralph's back.

Ralph stopped and tried to buck Vanellope off.

"You're not a villain, Ralph," Vanellope cried, "don't let that fart-head turn you into one!"

Ralph stilled.

Sora raised his keyblade.

"I hate to do this Ralph!"

He shot out a blast of light that threw Ralph back toward the stands on the other side of the race track. Vanellope glitched back to stand next to Sora.

"Do you think that did it?"

Her question wasn't answered, because in the next moment another cy-heartless came hissing down at their heads. A lazer blast shot through the air, making the heartless explode. Calhoun and Felix ran toward Ralph.

"Come on," Felix said, "I think I know of a way to fix him!"

Donald and Goofy joined the group.

"Sora, remember what Alice did," Donald said.

Supply the light.

It was Ralph's only chance.

Sora ran into the stands where Ralph crashed. The big man lay there, his yellow eyes, glowing and wide, staring up into the sky. He twitched as though he were regaining his strength.

Vanellope jumped in, and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Come on, stink-brain, I know you're in there!"

"Wake up, soldier," Calhoun demanded.

Felix tapped Ralph with his golden hammer.

"Come on, brother, it can't end here!"

The hammer's hits send ripples of golden light through Ralph, pushing away the ashen grey tone from his skin for a few seconds. But the darkness ran deep and soon Ralph was steaming in it.

Sora gathered light in his keyblade.

"Don't stop talking to him, don't stop hitting him."

Felix bonked Ralph on top of the head.

Vanellope reached into Ralph's shirt and pulled out a heart-shaped, cookie necklace. "You're _my_ hero, remember?"

Ralph stilled.

Sora pressed his keyblade above Ralph's heart. With one more gentle tap from Felix's hammer, light spread across Ralph's body. The ashy grey color peeled away from his skin. His shirt and pants lit up with the color red, and with one blink of his eyes, he was back to normal.

Vanellope threw her fist in the air. "Yeah!"

Ralph's eyes filled up. "Kid! You're okay!"

Calhoun's rough voice interrupted them. "Move it, people! Save the reunion for later!"

Grabbing Vanellope, Ralph rolled out of the way of an the incoming heartless. Then he jumped and slammed the heartless into the dirt, obliterating it. The entire party was thrown back into battle. Yet, even with Ralph's help, there was no way they could take down the whole swarm. It ended with all seven of them in a circle, back to back, panting.

Donald looked at Sora with dull, exhausted eyes.

"Sora! We can't possibly take down millions of these things!"

"We have to leave the game and blow up the exit," Calhoun said. "It our only choice."

"But what about the game," Sora said.

"Diet cola mountain was destroyed," Ralph said. "There's no beacon to draw the cy-bugs."

Sora remembered the pillar of light that appeared above the tower in Hero's Duty.

"I won't leave this game behind to be destroyed."

"Like fun you are, rookie! Cy-bugs were already bad enough without the extra darkness. We have to destroy the game to save the rest of the arcade."

"I can make a beacon of light."

"There's no way you can make one big enough."

"Not alone, I can't."

Sora looked at Donald and Goofy. "We've faced worse, right?"

Goody winked. "Sure have."

"Wait! Sora, do you still have that piece of glass that Merida's mom gave you?"

Sora dug into his pocket and pulled out the stained glass piece. Donald braced Sora's leg, Goofy put his hands on Sora's shoulders.

Vanellope raised an eyebrow. "You guys are going to save my game with that tiny thing?"

"All I need you guys to do is to is give me your strength."

Ralph bent and picked up Sora, Donald and Goofy, balancing the trio on his broad shoulders.

"You heard the man, let's do this!"

Vanellope jumped up onto Sora's shoulder.

Felix and Calhoun held hands and then stood back to back with Ralph.

The heartless must have sensed a threat coming because they came down on them like a million comets. Calhoun shot in the air, Donald protected them with a aero spell.

"Sora," Felix called, "whatever you're doing, do it now!"

Sora concentrated. Gathering light from Donald and Goofy was easy, it was freely given. Vanellope's spunkiness hit him like the sour bite after a sweet rush of candy. Next came Felix's kindness. Calhoun's intensity was like a punch in the gut, and Ralph's hope was the final piece, connecting all the light together.

Sora reached up and held the stained glass in front of the keyblade.

The resulting blast of light was so electrifying that all seven of them had to fight to stay standing. The light shot up high, through the swarms, the clouds, maybe even through the code of _Sugar Rush_ itself.

The heartless and cy-bugs flew toward the white beam to be vaporized one by one.

The keyblade shook in Sora's hand. The stain glass slipping from between his sweaty fingers. The power was so strong that he felt the light creep into his veins, burning the space behind his eyes, whipping out everything but the moment.

The glass slipped.

But the light did not stop.

Vanellope caught the glass and held it up on top of the keyblade.

Donald chanted healing spells to push away Sora's pain.

Goofy tightened his arms around Sora's waist, steadying him.

Ralph fell to his knees but would not drop the people he was holding.

Felix raised his hammer to give Sora more strength.

Calhoun held Felix up to help channel his power.

The last heartless melted into the light.

The stained glass piece shattered into dust.

The group collapsed.

Lying on the floor, they gasped and listened to a crescendo of cheers. The sky above was a perfect mint green and one of the cotton candy clouds parted to reveal a keyhole. Sora raised his key, and locked the world without leaving his spot on the floor. His arm fell against his side. He didn't have any energy left to stand, but it didn't matter. In mere moments the denizens of _Sugar Rush_ had come back and lifted all of them in the air.

* * *

_**Jiminy's Journal**_

Sergeant Tamora Jean Calhoun (First Appeared in Wreck-It Ralph, 2012): Fix-it Felix's wife. She is the strict, intense commander of the troops in her game, _Hero's Duty. _Calhoun expects nothing less then two hundred percent from her men and it's a good thing too, considering part of her role is to fight deadly cy-bugs everyday. Calhoun has an strong sense of duty and will do everything she can to keep the arcade safe.


	20. Chapter 19: Maroon's Studios

**DISCLAIMER**: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy or any of the Disney/Square Enix characters that appear in this work. Please support the original releases.

* * *

**_Chapter 19: Maroon Studios_**

* * *

Ralph hesitated in at the terminal. Up ahead of him, Felix turned around from the gateway that led back toGame Central Station_. _Vanellope put a hand on Ralph's arm and the big man started.

"Sorry," she grinned, "you okay?"

Ralph shrugged. "Fine."

"The arcade is going to open soon," Felix called. "We'd better hurry up!"

"I know." Ralph sighed. "I just worry about things going back to the way they were."

Felix crossed his arms. "Now Ralph, that's twice you've gone out of your way to help others. If the nicelanders don't start showing you some due respect, then..."

Felix's face reddened, his facial muscles twitching.

Ralph took a step back. "Whoa! Calm down, buddy."

"Oh no, watch out," Vanellope said in a bored tone, "he's gonna blow."

"It's just, now pardon my potty mouth, such gobbledegook! If the nicelanders don't treat you well then I will stop talking to them."

Ralph let out a small chuckle.

"You really are a good guy, Felix."

"So are you, Ralph," Sora said.

"Yup! A hero looks out for their friends," Goofy added.

Ralph turned faced the trio. "You know, even if I'm the bad guy in my game, it's great to know that my real friends see me for who I am and not what I do."

Felix, Ralph, Vanellope, Sora, Donald and Goofy nodded in agreement, falling into a comfortable silence as all six of their faces melted into the dorkiest of smiles.

At the tram, Calhoun groaned, despite the fact that the corners her lips curved upward.

"Oh brother. Hey, ladies, when you're done with the mushy stuff, can we head back to our games before the arcade realizes what's up?"

Vanellope gave Ralph a hug.

Before he boarded the tram, Ralph waved at the trio. "You guys, I don't know what game you're from, or what you do there, but you are true heroes in my book."

Sora scratched the back of his head.

Goofy blushed. "Gee."

Donald put his hands on his hips. "Now if only Phil agreed with that."

Calhoun saluted. "Hey rookies, don't be strangers!"

The trio stood straight, with their hands at their sides. "Yes, ma'am!"

After Felix, Ralph and Calhoun vanished into the tunnel Vanellope let Sora, Donald and Goofy escort her back to the race track.

"Thanks again for helping to rebuild the game," Vanellope said.

"No problem." Sora winked. "Though it was Felix's hammer that did most of the work."

Goofy pretended to hammer a nail. "Gee, I wish I had a magic hammer that can fix anything. Then I wouldn't have to always fix all the dents in Max's armor."

Donald rolled his eyes. "You spoil him too much."

"Well anyway," Vanellope began, "I owe you guys big time for saving my game and helping me get Ralph back to his senses. Next time you come around, candy feast on me."

"Forget that." Sora held out his hands as though he were holding an imaginary steering wheel. "I want a race. Hey Donald, is there any chance we can get the gummi ship to-"

And with that, both Donald and Goofy covered Sora's mouth. "That's a secret!"

Vanellope raised an eyebrow. "You guys are weird, cool, in a dorky way. All right, you got yourself a race. But I'm warning ya: you're so going to lose."

Sora never got the chance to retort. By the time he wrestled Donald and Goofy off him, Vanellope was already gone. He also never got the chance to pin Donald and Goofy with an annoyed glare. Just then, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a trail of black smoke moving under the giant popcorn box by the race track.

Sora made a mad dash toward the bock, ducked under its white and red stripped cardboard, and froze.

Hades was there, standing in front of the door that led back to Castle Oblivion. Donald and Goofy caught up and brandished their weapons.

Hades looked at his sharp nails. "Oh, look at that. You guys, found me. What do ya want, a gold star?"

"You sure are confident after your plan failed." Sora crossed his arms.

"And what plan might that be, squirt?"

"To cause all that mayhem," Goofy said.

"To get rid of us," Donald added.

"You three olives-for-brains couldn't possibly know, could you?"

"Then why don't you tell us?" Sora summoned his keyblade, aiming it at Hades' head. "Are you working for Dr. Facilier too? Why are you here?"

"The only person I work for is myself."

"Yeah, sure. I bet you came here for revenge like Cruella did."

"Nope. In fact," Hades opened the door that led back to Castle Oblivion, "the only thing I was supposed to do, was distract you."

He jumped through the door.

"Wait!"

Sora, Donald and Goofy were blinded by white light as they moved through the dimensions. When they crashed into the foyer of Castle Oblivion, it wasn't Hades standing in front of them. It was Dr. Facilier.

"Now wasn't that a fun world," he sang.

Just as the trio regained their feet, the doctor had teleported to stand in front of the dimensional door. Hades lay in the air next to the door, his expression sleepy, his hand holding up his head.

"Well, Shadow Man, I did my part, even roughed them up for ya. Now, about my reward."

Dr. Facilier tapped the castle door with his cane. "Of course. I am a man of my word."

Hades flipped, landing back on his feet. Dr. Facilier dropped something smokey and red in Hades' hand. The castle door swung open and Hades looked in.

"Well, well, you actually can control it." He waved at the trio. "Hey squirts. I really should thank you, but I have a hostile takeover to get to. See ya never, zeroes."

Sora dashed forward, but was blocked by Dr. Facilier's shadow. It's skinny leg whipped him across the face, throwing him back into the waiting arms of Donald and Goofy. At the top of the stairs, Dr. Facilier wagged his finger.

"Now be a good boy and see your elders off politely, won't you?"

"I can't say it's been pleasant, doc," Hades walked into the door, "but for icing on my cake, I would really enjoy if you toasted those three for good."

The door closed behind Hades.

Dr. Facilier twirled his cane and slammed it against the door one more time.

"What's going on?" Sora growled. "Why did you give Hades? Just what do you want?"

Dr. Facilier put his finger to his lips. "Now don't spoil the suspense young, man. Just play along," his voice lowered, "and enjoy the show."

Something blocked the light from overhead, and Sora made the mistake of looking up just in time to see Dr. Facilier's shadow looming over them. The shadow swept up the air behind the trio and they were blasted across the room straight through the door Dr. Facilier was so nicely holding open for them.

* * *

The stench of melted, rotting, meatloaf surprise made Sora want to barf. He pulled his head out of the trashcan, only to have his feet slip on the wet floor. His back slammed into the wall of an alley. Sora waited for the stars to stop shining in front of his eyes before he shook off the banana peel and the cheesy napkins from his hair.

"Gross! First Hades, now, Dr. Facilier. I'm getting real tired of being thrown around like last week's garbage."

"Sora, I could use a hand."

Looking up, Sora spotted Goofy's head stuck in the ladder of a fire escape. Donald, on the other hand, was hanging, upside down, by his flipper, on bottom handle of the ladder. Now normally, Sora would waste no time in helping his friends out of their predicament, but at that moment, all he could do was stare with his mouth hanging open.

"What happened to you two? Why do you guys look like moving drawings?"

Donald flapped his arms, trying to keep himself from swaying too far and letting his webbed foot slip from the ladder. "Stop gawking and help us already!"

The second he reached to help Donald out, Sora pulled his arms back and screamed.

"What's going on? Why are my arms so flat?"

"SORA! Figure it out later!"

Donald's foot slipped from the metal stair. He fell, wriggling and screaming until Sora caught him right before he could hit the ground. Putting the duck down, Sora climbed the fire escape to move the ladder so Goofy could free his head. With his friends out of harm's way, Sora inspected his hands.

Everything, from the tips of hands to his shoes, was completely flat, as though he had been smoothed over by a clothing iron. He flexed his fingers and was amazed that the movement felt completely normal, and not like he were folding a piece of paper.

Brushing aside the dust on one of the old windows in the alley, Sora marveled at his reflection. His entire body looked like a drawing, and he was ridiculously colorful. Compared the dingy, grey, dark browns and faded reds of the alley, Sora, Donald and Goofy looked like a rainbow that had crash landed on earth.

"What's wrong, Sora," asked Goofy.

Unable to keep it in any longer, Sora whirled around and poked Donald's bill.

The duck took a step back, covering his mouth. "What did you do that for?"

"You guys aren't freaking out? Why do we look like comic book characters that have come to life?"

Goofy shrugged. "Ya know, I can't explain it but something about this feels very, um..."

"Familiar?" Donald finished.

"Yeah, that's it."

Sora turned toward the door that led to back to Castle Oblivion. He tried to pull it open, but once again the door did not respond, even when he summoned his keyblade and tried to force it open. Sora looked at his weapon. It too, looked like a drawing. But everything else around them was three dimensional, from the trash, to the buildings, to the fedora wearing man that was stomping into the alleyway.

A flashlight shined right into Sora's eyes.

"Hey! What are you toons doing out here the middle of the night?"

"Toons?" Sora snapped his fingers. "Oh, like _cartoons_! That's what we are!"

"Why are you on Maroon's property?" The man clicked his teeth. "Dang toons. Pretty stupid to be here after what happened."

"And just who are you?"

"Eddie Valiant. Private detective. And you three-"

The most annoying of screams, more irritating then a crying baby on a crowded thirteen hour flight, echoed from the street at the end of the alley. Sora covered his ears, staring wide-eyed into the mouth of the alley where a white, cartoon rabbit in red overalls came scrambling in. He jumped onto the private detective's chest.

"Eddie! Oh thank goodness!" the rabbit lisped. "Don't leave me behind! I'm begging ya for your help!"

Eddie Valiant grabbed the rabbit's blue, yellow polka-dotted, bow tie. He held the flailing rabbit out at arm's length. "Did you follow me all the way from my apartment? I already told you, I don't work for toons!"

"P-p-pwease Eddie, you've got to help me! If you don't, I'll get turned into, into-"

"Spit it out, rabbit, before I throw you into the trash."

Speaking of trash, the garbage bags in the alley shivered and rolled even though there wasn't any wind. Sora felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise. Clawed, inky, black hands ripped out of the black plastic. Then the bags burst, and the rubbish splattered against the alley walls and floor. The fresh stink of garbage brought a dozen cartoon-weasel, emblem heartless with it. They crawled toward Valiant.

The rabbit pointed. "Those, Eddie! I'll get turned into one of those!"

He wrapped his arms and legs around Valiant's face and neck. The detective growled as he tried to pry the rabbit off. "Get off me, Roger!"

The heartless reached out with its golden claws and slashed at the rabbit's tail.

Sora shoved his way passed Valiant and smashed his keyblade on the head of the weasel heartless. The heartless' head flattened into the ground. Then it stood back up straight and its head re-inflated as though nothing had just happened. Donald threw a lightning spell at the weasels, and they twitched as the electricity zinged through the bodies. Yet, once the lightning had run out, the heartless advanced as though they had only felt a minor static shock. Goofy charged into one of the heartless, but both him and his shield bounced off as though the heartless were made out of rubber.

"What's going on? Why can't we hurt them?"

Sora slashed at a heartless, but instead of injuring it, he watched in total confusion as the heartless' head vibrated back and forth as though it were on a metal spring. Then the heartless bounced back into its regular shape and began slashing at Sora with its claws, leaving him no choice but to defend.

"The keyblade is not working!"

Eddie Valiant had finally succeeded in prying the rabbit off him.

Held up in midair, the rabbit whimpered and covered his eyes. "What do we do, Eddie? We're trapped!"

With his jaw tight, Valiant looked at the heartless, closed his eyes, and took an tense, deep breath breathe. "Hey Roger, why don't you use your head for once?"

Valiant grabbed the rabbit by the scruff of his neck and tail.

"Oh no! Don't tell me you're going ta do what I think you're going ta do?"

Valient sprinted out of the alley, using the Roger's head like a battering ram as he crashed through the heartless, knocking them up in the air. Sora, Donald and Goofy took their chance. They raced out of the alley and into an abandoned movie studio parking lot.

Valiant booked it to a nearby car and jumped into the driver's seat. The tires screeched as the car swerved around to a stop in front of Sora, Donald and Goofy, and Roger.

"Get in!"

Sora and the others barely had seconds to hope into the car before Valiant crushed the accelerator under his foot. They lurched out of the parking lot so fast that Donald and Goofy slammed into the car's rear window. Meanwhile, Sora and Roger literally bumped heads every time the car swerved. Finally, Valiant slammed the breaks, making Donald and Goofy crash into Sora and Roger, leaving all four of them in a tangled mess of arms and legs.

In the front seat, Valiant panted, leaning against the steering wheel. "What kind of toons were those?" He opened the car door and stumbled out, leaning forward on his hands and knees. "Crazy, I can understand. But downright violent? I haven't seen a toon like that since-"

Valiant stopped for a moment and looked around the street, his back tight. Then his eyes locked onto the confused ball of toons that were staring at him from the backseat window of his car.

"Get out of my car, morons."

Roger, somehow, was able to detangle himself from the trio, roll down the window and flop out of the car. Pressing his palms together, he kneeled in front of Valiant.

"You gotta help me Eddie. Judge Doom is out to get me."

"Gee, I wonder why."

"I didn't do anything to make Acme or Maroon disappear. I swear!"

"Yeah, but you were the one that had the most motive." Valiant pointed to Roger's hands. "And your yellow glove paint was found at the scene where Acme disappeared, not to mention Maroon's office. I've had enough of this."

He stomped toward the fire station across the street.

Roger ran after him.

By this time, Sora, Donald and Goofy had finally managed to get out of the car. Before Valiant could walk through the door next to the fire-station, Sora stepped in his path.

"Hold on! Can you explain what's going on? Who's Acme? Who's Maroon? Why is, uh, Roger a suspect?"

"I ain't got time to explain to you, kid."

"But he's been begging for your help all night. And if it weren't for his head, we would still be fighting those heartless toons back there. You owe us an explanation, at least."

Eddie Valiant's eyes narrowed. "Heartless? Yeah, that sounds about right."

Roger's long ears flopped down behind his head. "You can't really think of all toons like that can you, Eddie?"

"That's low," Sora glowered, "what did toons ever do to you?"

The sudden rush of red in Valiant's cheeks, the winkling on his forehead, and vein pulsing in his thick neck, made Sora realize that he had breached a touchy subject. Valiant squeezed between Sora and Roger and walked into the door next to the firestation. Roger and the trio chased after him. After going up a set of stairs, they found themselves in a saloon. The patrons, firefighters and mechanics, stood around wooden tables exchanging stories over cold brews. A train roared by, shaking the entire bar. The waitress behind the counter had to press some glass bottles against the back wall to keep them from flying off and shattering.

Valiant made his way over the counter and sat down. The waitress placed a glass in front of him.

"Water? Come on, Dolores, I need more of a pick me up then that after the night I've had."

"I'm cutting you off, Eddie," said Dolores. "You're not getting anything until you've paid me back all the money you owe me. Besides," Dolores nodded her head in the direction of Roger, Sora, Donald and Goofy, "looks like you've got company."

Valiant turned around with a sigh.

"Aw come on."

Roger bumped a table as he moved toward the counter, causing a bottle to fall off. It rolled under Roger's foot. He tripped and skidded over the floor, heels over his head twice before he landed in a heap at Valiant's feet. Little birds chirped around Roger's head. The men in the bar pointed and laughed.

"Thank you, thank you," Roger saluted from his position on the floor. "I'll be here all week."

Goofy reached down, grabbed Roger's shoulders and pulled him up to his feet.

"Gee, that didn't hurt, Roger?"

"Not at all, nothing really hurts if it's for comedy."

"Are you sure?" Sora looked down. "Your face just sandpapered the floor."

"Naw, I'm fine. We're toons remember? We take damage all the time. See?"

He grabbed a plate from the counter and smashed it on his head. The broken porcelain gathered around his feet.

Roger picked up another plate.

Smash.

"I got a lot on my plate, but no pain."

The bar patrons slapped their knees, roaring happily.

Dolores let out an angry cry. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Oh, s-s-sorry."

Before Dolores could scold Roger, the sound of screeching tires silenced the bar. Donald and Goofy went down the stairs to investigate.

"It's some tall guy in black clothes," Donald announced.

"He seems mighty annoyed," Goofy added, "why is he wearing sunglasses in the middle of the night?"

Roger screamed and jumped into Valiant's arms. "Hide me, Eddie, p-p-please! It's Judge Doom! He hates toons!"

"You moron, if he sees me with you-"

Dolores grabbed Roger and Valiant's wrists. "Quickly, this way."

She led them through a hidden door behind the counter. Valiant, Roger, Sora, Donald and Goofy entered a secret room full of barrels, crates and all kinds of bottled drinks for the bar. Dolores closed the door, blocking the view of the bar and the patrons. Luckily there were two eye holes in the wall. Valiant and Sora peed through the holes, watching the scene unfold outside.

The patrons were quiet and stiff, their eyes following a tall, slender man as he walked around the room.

Judge Doom, Sora realized.

The judge wore all black. His suit, tie, fedora, and clean shaven face made him look distinguished yet Sora felt a skin-crawling itch whenever he looked at the judge's face. His eyes were barely visible behind his perfectly round, yellow glasses. He had the whitest, straightest, most perfect looking teeth Sora had ever seen, so why did he feel oddly uncomfortable whenever the judge opened his mouth to take a breathe. Even his face seemed too perfect, with barely any blemishes or discolorations, like a doll's.

The judge's voice was low and had a sense of finality to it, like an interrogator that had already decided you were guilty.

"I'm looking for a fugitive of the law."

Roger began biting his fingertips.

"Goes by the name of Roger Rabbit." He paused after each word, either because he believed everyone around him was too stupid to string the words in a sentence, or because he wanted to make each harsh syllable send warning shivers through his audience. "Of course, any information about him would be handsomely rewarded."

"Great," Valiant whispered, "They're going to sell us out."

"No way. They laughed at my pitfall earlier. They wouldn't rat us out."

"Sure they wouldn't."

"You'll see. Laughter is the thing that bonds us together. Why sometimes in life, it's the only weapon we have."

A fireman smirked. "Yeah, I've seen a rabbit."

Valiant, Roger and the trio held their breaths.

Judge Doom leaned down toward the man. "Have you now?"

"Yeah." The fireman put out his arm as though he were holding an invisible friend next to him. "It's my old pal, the Easter Bunny. Say hi, buddy."

The bar patrons chuckled. Their mirth was silenced a second later when Doom slammed his cane down hard on a table. The wood cracked and then the table split into two pieces with a snap. The patrons stiffened.

Judge doom walked by the counter, his arm outstretched, tipping over the plates and glass cups on the counter. Dolores cringed as the glass shrieked and shattered. The patrons gritted their teeth.

"I've heard news of terrible events recently. People vanishing without a trace, and every time, toon paint at the sight they were last seen. Witnesses are reporting that toons attacked the good folk of this town in broad daylight. Now, I ask you, gentleman, and lady, these insane creatures have never had respect for the law, and now they are acting violently. Is it really worth protecting one suspect? After all," Doom looked at Dolores, "it isn't the first time that we've lost someone because of a toon."

In the hidden room, Eddie Valiant balled his hands into fists, his lips peeling back into a silent snarl. Sora and Donald glared at Judge Doom, while Goofy comforted a shivering Roger.

"Until that rabbit is found, the authorities will have an eye on this establishment. That is, of course, unless I get a report as to the rabbit's whereabouts." He tipped his hat. "Gentleman."

Judge Doom descended the stairs. Minutes after he was gone, the bar patrons finished their drinks, and left one by one. When Dolores was alone, she went down the stairs and locked the bar door. Only then did Valiant and the toons leave their hiding spot.

Once they were all out, Dolores handed each of them a broom, mop, or a dish towel.

As Sora swept the broken glass into a dustpan, he spoke to Donald and Goofy. "So toons can't be hurt? Like when Roger fell over earlier. So we can't do any damage to the toon heartless?"

"You can do damage," Roger said. "Toons get hurt all the time. If it makes you laugh, I'd jump off a bridge."

"Please don't. Back to the topic, you're saying nothing can actually _destroy_ a toon, right?"

"Well, almost nothing." Roger clasped his hands. His shoulders shook and his teeth chattered. "Except the dip."

"What's the dip?"

"Only the most horrible substance known to toon kind! It's an evil poison that melts any toon that so much as touches it!"

"So it must work on the heartless too. Where do we get some of that?"

Both Roger and Eddie Valiant looked at Sora with an "are you crazy_"_ look.

"Kid," Valiant shook his head, "that stuff can kill ya."

"Besides, only Judge Doom has it," Roger added.

"So that's why you were so afraid of him. What's his deal? Why is he so suspicious of toons?"

"Weren't you paying attention to what he said about people vanishing and toons attacking?" Valiant huffed. "Seems like every toon has gone crazy."

"That's not true Eddie," Roger said. "Toons have been disappearing from Toontown as well, but no one's talking about that in the news. And what's worse, it seems as though they've been turning into those rubber monsters."

"They're called heartless." Donald explained.

Goofy scratched his head. "I'm confused, why is this Judge Doom fella after Roger then?"

"Because the dang rabbit got jealous after his wife, Jessica, was caught playing patty-cake with Marvin Acme. The next day, both Acme, and his friend RK Maroon, who just happened to show Roger the pictures of his wife and Acme playing patty-cake, have disappeared."

"Which makes me suspect numero uno." Roger rubbed his arms. "But I would never do anything to hurt Acme and Maroon."

"So where did you go after you saw those pictures, huh?"

Roger blushed. "I figured someone must have made Jessica play patty-cake, because I know my smoochziepoo would never do anything to hurt me. I went to her dressing room to tell her how much I love and trust her but she wasn't there." He pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket. "But I did find a nice, clean piece of paper while I was there. So I decided to write her a love letter."

Valiant rolled his eyes. "You're telling me that in a fit of jealousy, you wrote your wife a love letter?"

"That's right! I was waiting to give it to her, but then those creatures-"

"Heartless," said the trio.

"Those heartless came to attack Jessica's dressing room. I barely escaped and then I found out I was wanted for Maroom and Acme's disappearance. And worst of all, I don't know where my wonderful wife is."

Roger pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and obnoxiously blew his nose.

"So, all we need to then," Goofy said, "is find a way to prove that the heartless are the reason Maroon and Acme disappeared, right?"

"Good luck with that boys," said Valiant. He dropped his dishcloth and moved toward the exit.

"Oh no you don't." Sora got in his way. "Roger came to you for help. You can't just sit here. We have to go after that Doom guy, we have to investigate the heartless."

"And we have to find Jessica! I couldn't bear it if something happened to my dear wife!"

"Didn't you hear me before, kid? I _don't_ work for toons."

"But you're totally curious, right?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You said earlier. Toons aren't usually violent. Don't you want to know what's making these toons go crazy? And why were you on Maroon's property? You want to know why he and Acme have disappeared, otherwise you wouldn't have been there. Am I wrong?"

Valiant crossed his arms. "So what if I do? What makes you think I'll work for you?"

"With. Not 'for.' Why don't we work together to get the bad guys and once we're done, you can go back to never working for, or with, toons again."

Sora caught Donald and Goofy staring at him.

"What?"

"Uh nothing." Goofy said hastily.

Donald crossed his arms, smirking. "We're just impressed you figured all that out."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Donald and Goofy shared a laugh. "Oh just that you're growing, is all," they said together.

Valiant poked Sora in the chest. "Fine, I'll work _with_ ya. But on one condition." He pointed at Roger. "When we're done, you're going to tell all the toons in Toontown that I'm retired. You will make sure no toon ever comes to ask me for help ever again."

Roger looked sad. "Are you sure that's what you want?"

"Don't make me change my mind."

"Okay Eddie. I'll do it."

"Good. Our first stop should be Toontown. The last person to see Acme was Roger's wife. We're going to see if we can talk to her. Hurry up."

Valiant stomped out of the bar.

Sora winced when the front door slammed shut.

"What a sourpuss," Roger sighed, "and he used to have such a great sense of humor."

"Really?"

Roger nodded. "Valiant was a great detective that helped so many toons during their times of crisis. What could have happened to make him so mean?"

Dolores stopped running the sink and looked out into her empty bar. "Eddie lost his brother because of a toon."

Sora hung his head. "Oh. So that's what Judge Doom meant."

Dolores nodded. "This whole thing has Eddie on edge, but I'm glad you convinced him to take the case. Maybe you can help him find some closure."

And bring back his sense of humor before the darkness of grief got to him, Sora thought.

* * *

Mary made Max and Kairi face each other, positioning them just a few feet apart.

"Back straight, Max, we don't slouch."

Max stiffened. "Yes ma'am."

"Now then, before you begin instruction, I would like to see Kairi test out her skills against a close range opponent. So far she has only fought against magic, but there are many dangers out there that she may need to prepare for."

Max scratched the unruly hair on top of head. "I'm not sure I'm down for this. I mean, she doesn't even know how to use a sword. I don't want to attack someone that's defenseless."

Mary simply raised her eyebrows at Max's objection. Then, she looked at Kairi and nudged her head as if to say, "well?"

"You think I'm defenseless?"

"You don't have a weapon."

"So? I can take you on. What's the matter? Scared?"

Max's eye twitched. "Dude? Me? Scared?" He put on his helmet and unsheathed the pair of swords at his hips. "Bring it."

"Splendid." Mary sashayed out of Kairi and Max's way. She pulled out a nice, wide ottoman from her carpet bag, as well as a full cup of tea.

"Begin, please."

Max charged, his blades thrust out before him. Kairi jumped back just as he sliced through the air with his swords. She retaliated, shooting several fire spells at him. Max ducked and rolled, dodging all of Kairi's attacks. While he was distracted, Kairi jumped up onto the topiary castle, and sent a water spell crashing down on Max's head.

He reacted in the last second and narrowly avoided getting drenched. Too bad his foot slipped in the puddle. He flipped two whole rotations in the air before landing on his back. Kairi took advantage of the opening. From her vantage point, she sent a thunder spell crashing down toward the puddle.

Max wasn't fast enough to dodge that. He rolled out of the puddle but his arm was still in the water when the lightning hit. His arm zinged and tingled. He lay flat on the ground, dizzy.

"Ouch."

"Oh sorry! I didn't mean to hit you that hard." Kairi jumped down from the topiary castle. "Are you okay?"

Before she could reach him, Max flipped back onto his feet.

"Guess I should stop going easy on you."

Kairi fumed. "What? Going easy on _me_? May I remind you that I nearly toasted you a second ago?"

Max shrugged. "One thing I learned from my dad: always let your opponent underestimate you."

Annoyed, Kairi gathered energy and threw a fire, water and lightning spell, one after the other at Max. He sliced through the fireball, rolled out of the way of the water spell and, once the water had covered the floor, Max used it to slide toward Kairi, avoiding the lightning spell in the process.

It only took a few seconds for Max to close the distance between them, which gave Kairi less time to cast and aim. She blasted him back with a water spell, and gathered magic for another attack once he was pushed back. In that same second, Max took off his helmet at hurled it at Kairi's hand.

The metal slammed into her open palm. Kairi's spell careened out of control as she shook her hand, biting her lip from the stinging pain.

Something flashed at her.

Kairi threw a reflect spell around herself just Max's swords came down on her head. From behind the spell he grinned.

"Nice."

"Thanks."

He slammed his swords down on the magic glass, over and over, cracking it.

Kairi gathered magic.

The glass broke.

She hurled a fire spell at Max, making him jump back. She threw spell after spell at him and he danced and ducked away from each one. Kairi didn't let up, but gathering energy for spells one after the other made her head spin. Her attacks slowed down and Max was gaining on her every time there was a gap between spells. Soon, Kairi was backed up against the castle wall. Desperate, she threw another thunder spell.

Max dodged and threw one of his swords at her. Gathering the last of her energy, Kairi protected herself with a reflect spell. The sword bounced off her shield. Completely winded, Kairi let the shield drop and looked around for her opponent.

A blade appeared under her neck.

"I win," Max said from next to her.

"Cheap trick," Kairi huffed. She raised her hand, but no magic came forth.

"Looks like you're all out."

"I lost." Kairi clicked her teeth. "Fine, you win."

Max lowered his sword. "That was the most fun I've had in a while."

He held out his hand.

Shaking it, Kairi smiled. "Thanks for not going easy on me."

"Sure thing."

"Indeed. A fellow warrior always gives his all to a worthy opponent," said Mary.

She walked over to Max and Kairi, clearing her throat and nodding toward the damaged garden. The topiary animals were smoking, the leaves still crackling from the after effects of Kairi's magic. Branches littered the floor, all cut off by Max's swords.

Kairi and Max hung their heads.

Mary snapped her fingers at each damaged bush and suddenly the garden fixed itself until it was as good as new.

"A spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down," Mary sang. Then she faced Kairi and Max. "Now, to review. Kairi, as a spell castor, you are only powerful as long as you do not run out of magic power. You can always cary ethers with you, but I believe that any respectable mage has more then magic up her sleeve."

"So that's why you had me take on Max? To see how I do once I'm out of magic?"

"Well yes, but it was also to show Max what you're capable of. So what do you say, young man? Will you teach Kairi how to wield a blade?"

Max picked up his other sword from the ground and handed it to Kairi.

"I've been looking for a worthy sparing partner. PJ doesn't use a sword and King Mickey has been off on his mission for ages."

Kairi tested the weight of the blade in her hand. Then she swung it. The blade went down a lot faster then she expected. The tip of the sword poked through the grass.

"This is a lot heavier then the toy swords Riku and Sora used back on the islands." Lifting the blade, Kairi rotated her wrist, watching the metal move. "Can you teach me to dual wield too?"

Max reached out and fixed Kairi's arm, making sure she was holding the sword properly.

"First, you need to learn how to use one sword before you can learn how to use two."

As Max began explaining the basics of using a weapon, Kairi closed her eyes.

_Sora, Riku, Oswald. I'm catching up to you guys._

* * *

_**Jiminy's Journal**_

Eddie Valiant (First Appeared in Who Framed Roger Rabbit, 1988): A private detective with a chip on his shoulder. He was once a well known investigator that loved to joke and help toons alongside his brother, Teddy Valiant. After he lost his brother at a toon's hands, Valiant swore never to work a toon case again. Yet, he still entered into a tense agreement with Sora and the others to clear Roger of a crime he didn't commit.

Roger Rabbit (First Appeared in Who Framed Roger Rabbit, 1988): An over the top, hyperactive, cartoon rabbit who's life's mission is to make people laugh. He's a bit anxious and panicky, which makes sense since he's the prime suspect in the disappearance of Marvin Acme and RK Maroon. Despite this, Roger is always trying to brighten people's day with a jokes or slapstick. Anyone would be crazy to think him capable of committing a crime.

Dolores (First Appeared in Who Framed Roger Rabbit, 1988): Eddie Valiant's girlfriend. She's runs a bar across the street from his detective agency. Dolores always has Valiant's back, whether its on a case, taking care of his health, or making sure he isn't in over his head.

Judge Doom (First Appeared in Who Framed Roger Rabbit, 1988): Though he is a judge of Toontown, Doom is completely prejudiced against toons and will stop at nothing until he has Roger dipped for his "crime." Something about him is just...off.

Maximilian Goof (First Appeared in Goof Troop, 1992): Goofy's son and a knight at Disney Castle. Max has taken over Goofy's responsibility of leading the castle guards until his father returns home. Although he doesn't like being compared to his father, Max shares the same penchant for clumsiness. Despite this, he is thrill-seeker with a talent for the sword that is only outmatched by King Mickey himself. He's agreed to be Kairi's sword instructor and it seems like the two of them get along well.


	21. Chapter 21: Toontown

**Author's note: **So I didn't get the chance to thank my readers for the truly incredible critique's they've been leaving me. _**Thank you, Aztec13, Guest, BadOrk11 for your words and interest, and especially Stuff3 for your incredible review**._ If just one person likes my rewrite, that's enough for me. Now that we've come this far in the story, I feel I can answer Stuff3's question. I choose to include Madam Medusa in the Enchanted Bayou for three reasons.

1\. She's an over the top, villain that I just adore. So I couldn't help myself. (Also I love the way she's animated in _Rescuers_.)

2\. In the movie, she appears in a swamp, so I thought she would fit in the Enchanted Bayou.

3\. I planned for Dr. Facilier to be the main Disney villain in the same way that Maleficent was in KH1, so I needed a replacement villain/final boss for that world.

Hope that answers your question. Once again, thank you everyone for taking the time to read my story.

**DISCLAIMER**: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy or any of the Disney/Square Enix characters that appear in this work. Please support the original releases.

* * *

**_Chapter 20: Toontown_**

* * *

Valiant drove through the long, dark tunnel that led to Toontown. In the back seat, Donald, Sora, and Goofy, bounced with excitement.

"What do you think Toontown will be like," Sora asked.

"I bet it's pretty lively," said Goofy, "with lots of singin' and maybe even some fun jokes."

Roger turned around in the front seat. "All that and more! There is no place like Toontown!"

His words made Donald's eyes brighten like a child on Christmas morning. "Oh boy, oh boy!"

Sora spotted a red, cartoon curtain up ahead. A drumroll echoed in the tunnel. The curtains opened and the world beyond was absolutely bonkers. Donald and Goofy pressed their faces against the car windows, their behinds bouncing with the music.

The sun shined brightly over the cartoon, country road. They drove by meadows made entirely out of quilts. Barns, wishing wells, and fairy tale castles popped up in the distance. Everything, from the bouncy trees and flowers, the farm animals, dragons, chubby, flying angels, and even the tweeting birds, sang a chipper song that was so catchy that Sora began humming it.

"Smile, darn ya, smile..."

It was colorful, wacky, constantly moving, and Sora couldn't keep his big, dumb grin off his face. Until the cartoon, country road faded and Valiant drove into the town itself. Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Roger slammed against the car windshield when Valiant hit the breaks, narrowly avoiding getting hit by a speeding toon firetruck. Roger and the rest of the toons pulled back from the window, their bodies compressing like an accordion as they moved.

Valiant got out of the car. His companions followed only when their bodies returned to their regular shape. The town was ten times as crazy as the road they had taken to get there. The streets were complete anarchy. Police cars, horses, dragons, and the ambulance raced by without paying any attention to the streetlights, which changed from red to yellow to green every two seconds. Despite the road hazards, all the toons j-walked or skipped down the streets without a care in the world.

The sidewalks were covered in all kinds of junk like fruit, rubber duckies, broken pianos, everything but the kitchen sink. Scratch that, Sora actually spotted a broken sink among a pile of cartoon gags, such as anvils and mallets.

Valiant's group followed Roger into an apartment building that stretched so far up, it vanished into the clouds. Inside the foyer, Roger called the elevator.

"My apartment is just a few stories up. Jessica has to be there."

The elevator dinged, the doors opened.

"Going up, sirs?" droned the elevator attendant, a dog with a very droopy face.

Sora, Donald, Goofy, Roger and Valiant all tripped when they entered the elevator. The dog hadn't told them there would be a huge step.

"Mind the step, sirs." He pulled the lever. "Hold on, sirs."

They weren't riding an elevator. They were riding a rocket! They flew up the floors so fast that the toons, and even Valiant himself, flattened like a pancake against the floor. Then the elevator stopped abruptly and they slammed against the ceiling.

"Your floor, sirs."

Dizzey, Valiant and the toons flopped out of the elevator and into the hallway outside.

"Have a good day, sirs."

The dog vanished as the elevator doors closed. While Valiant and the trio rubbed out the pain in their necks, Roger skipped straight to his apartment unit.

"Jessica, dearest, I have returned! Jessica?"

Valiant and the trio entered Roger's unit. Inside, they found Roger tearing up his own apartment. He threw clothes and plates out of their cabinets, lifted up the couch, and even burrowed under the rug. Resurfacing, he wailed.

"Eddie! She's not here!"

Valiant checked the whole unit. Then he called Roger and the others over. There was a large, yellow paint stain on the floor of the bedroom. Valiant grabbed Roger's yellow glove and compared the paint color. Roger's glove was lighter.

"This isn't your paint," concluded Valiant. He stared at the stain on the floor with a frown.

"Oh no! You're telling me that another toon came in here and kidnapped my beloved wife?"

"Seems that way. Unless there's anywhere else that Jessica would go."

Roger flailed his arms. "We must search the town! She could be in danger!"

Before Valiant could stop him, Roger was out the door. Seconds later, they found him in the hallway outside, on his back, his eyes rolling in their sockets, birds flying around his head.

"O-oh, e-excuse me sir," Roger stuttered from his place on the floor, "I-I d-d-didn't see you there. Sorry for b-b-bumping in to ya."

The man that Roger had charged into patted down his black and magenta robes. Out of all the toons Sora had seen so far, this one was the most severe looking. He was a tall, slender, elderly man, who's pale skin, thinning grey hair, and long, careworn face made him stand out from the zany, colorful, bouncy denizens of Toontown.

"Hideous creatures such as yourself rarely look where they are going."

Glaring at the man, Sora bent down to help Roger up. "Hey, he said he was sorry. You don't have to call him names."

The red ribbon hanging from the man's black and purple hat swung violently when he turned his head toward Sora. His voice was a low, deep, authoritative growl. "Is this how you treat your elders, boy?"

Sora glared. "Just because you're older then me doesn't give you the right to be rude."

"Insolence."

"Come on, you four," Valiant barked, "we've got a town to search."

"I must warn you of the foolishness of that idea," said the elderly man.

Donald crossed his arms, drumming his finger against his elbow. "And why should we listen to you?"

The man looked out the window. "The world is cruel, the world is wicked. Why not stay in here and avoid the danger?"

"Heroes don't run from danger," Goofy proclaimed.

"Then heroes are fools."

The old man walked toward the window. Ignoring him, Sora and the others rode the roller coaster elevator back down to the ground floor. When they exited out into the city, Sora froze.

Toontown was eerily quiet and deserted, not a single, active toon in sight. The colors seemed oddly muted, with more shades of grey then a newspaper. The streets were dimmed, yet there wasn't a single cloud overhead.

"What's going on, Roger," Goofy said, "why is everything so quiet?"

Roger pressed his fingertips to his lips. "Something don't feel right. Toontown is never like this."

Valiant looked around the deserted streets with a scowl. "Something real messed up must have happened if Toontown of all places has quieted down."

They walked down the sidewalk, passing by abandoned grocery stands, milk trucks, post offices, and police stations. Donald and Goofy brandished weapons. Sora's fist tightened around his keyblade.

"This place reeks of darkness. I just know a heartless is going to pop up any second now."

"Jeepers. Don't tell me that those creatures have completely taken over town."

Just as Roger said the words, oily, rubbery weasels, elephants, rabbits, mice, and dogs melted off the walls, and the street lights. Shadow heartless rose up from the concrete. They blended with the toon heartless, creating a black, tidal wave of darkness that rose up, ready to wash Valiant, Roger and the trio away.

Donald and Goofy were able to dispatch the run of the mill shadow heartless, but it didn't take long before the five of them were surrounded. Sora fought back with his keyblade, but the swarm kept pushing inward, until they were all back to back, with no way out.

"This is it, Eddie," Roger cried, "I'm going down without ever getting to say goodbye to my wife!" Roger flailed like a rubber hose with the water still running. "I have so much ta live for, so much ta do! I didn't even get a chance to get my cartoon with Baby Herman right!"

Roger got dangerously close to a heartless and it reached out to swipe him across the chest. Valiant, growling out of frustration, tried to grab Roger's ears, but the rabbit slipped out of his grasp.

"It's over! It's curtains! I've gone past my prime!"

"Calm down, you crazy rabbit!"

"How are we ever going to get out of this!"

This time, a heartless actually succeeded in hitting Roger. It slashed at his feet, which made Roger jump backward. His head banged against Donald, who then fell back onto Goofy and Sora. They bonked heads, and the resulting clap of their skulls hitting each other let out a weird rhythm that almost sounded like a song.

Sora shook his head, raising his keyblade, ready to defend from the inevitable attack but something strange happened. All the toon heartless froze, and then clapped their hands twice.

"What the-"

Roger blinked at the heartless. "Wait a minute." He clapped his hands in the same beat Sora and Goofy had just accidentally made.

Once again, the heartless clapped.

All except for the regular shadow heartless that pounced on Donald. Valiant reached down, grabbed the heartless off Donald and hurled it like a bowling ball into the toon heartless.

Strike.

Once again, the same beat rang out and the toon heartless clapped again.

"What's going on," said a very confused Donald.

"Of course!" Roger snapped his fingers. "They may be heartless, but they're still toons! And no toon can resist the old 'Shave and a Haircut' bit! Come on, Eddie! Do it!"

"Fine." Valiant clapped his hands. Roger sang.

"Shave and a hair cut-"

The heartless clapped the last two notes.

"-too bits! I knew it! Come on guys!"

Valiant, Donald, Goofy and Roger repeated the beat, over and over and sure enough, the toon heartless couldn't resist stomping and clapping the last two notes each time. They moved through the swarm, using the song to freeze heartless in place. Sora pushed back and destroyed any regular heartless that came too close to the group.

Of all the ways to fight, he never would have imagined he would be distracting heartless with an old barbershop beat. He would have laughed at the sheer ridiculousness of it, if he hadn't been concentrating on keeping the heartless back. For a split second, a gap opened up in the heartless horde and Sora swore he saw the face of the old man Roger had bumped into.

He blinked and the old, cruel face was gone, but he didn't have time to wonder if it had just been his imagination. Even with his friends clapping "Shave and a haircut," there was no end to the heartless. More and more of them popped up on the roofs, the lambs, the trashcans, covering any open space.

The last time Sora had seen so many heartless was when he and his friends fought off endless armies of them at the end of the world. His shoulders were beginning to ache. Even Donald and Goofy had to stop clapping to help him fight off the regular heartless.

Panting, Sora looked up, trying to drink in as much air as possible. That's when he saw it. He forgot to breathe. His lungs screamed for air, but Sora was frozen. Frost built up in his bones and joints, and he could feel his teeth chattering.

A sphere of darkness hung in the sky, like an evil moon that was ready to swallow the world whole.

The heartless were still advancing. They had pushed the party toward the mouth of an alley. Donald sent a series of lightning spells into the heartless, distracting them just enough for the party to rush into the alley. They turned a corner. There was a back door on one of the buildings. Sora unlocked it.

Donald, Goofy and Roger crashed into a dark room. Sora and Valiant slammed the door shut behind then. Locking the door with his keyblade, Sora ducked under the windows. They held completely still, holding their breaths as the stampede of heartless roared through the alley. The room rumbled and shook from the millions of footsteps squeezing through the tiny space.

Finally, things were quiet. Valiant and Roger peeked out of the window. The alley was deserted.

Valiant finally caught his breathe. "Okay, I think the coast is clear." He thumped Roger on the shoulder. "Good thinking with the 'Shave and a Haircut' bit back there. Not bad, for a toon."

Roger blushed, pulling his ears down around his face. "Thanks! See, what did I tell ya, humor can really save the day."

"Fine, I'll give this one to you."

"H-hello? Anyone there?" said a voice from one of the dark corners of the room.

The party jumped, preparing to fight. Someone turned on a light, and it took all of Sora's willpower not to scream when dozens of eyes all locked on him at the same time. The entire room was filled to the brim with toons.

They reacted to Valiant and the others by flinching back, hands up.

"You're not with those dark toons are you," asked a cartoon taxi.

Roger leaned forward. "Benny? Is that you?"

The toon taxi blinked his headlight eyes.

"Roger! You're safe! Finally, some good news."

"Why are all you toons hauled up in this place?"

"Everything was fine in Toontown one second. Then those dark toons are appearing left and right, making a mess of everything."

"The toons they took were never heard from again," said a hippo in a tutu.

"We had to hide," said one of the three little pigs. "More of more of those things were appearing in the streets, and we couldn't fight them off."

Roger's face turned grey. "H-has anyone seen Jessica?"

The toons shook their heads.

Donald and Goofy covered Roger's mouth and tried to soothe him before he could break down to into hysterics and alert the heartless of their hiding spot.

Sora addressed the toons. "Hey, did any of you notice something strange about the town?"

"Yeah, the colors are fading," said a toad in a suit.

Sora rubbed his temples. "This isn't good."

"What's going on, kid?"

Sora looked at Valiant, but wasn't sure how to explain what he knew. He beckoned to Donald and Goofy, but they were still busy soothing Roger.

"Hey, Jiminy."

The cricket jumped into his hands. Sora moved toward a corner and whispered.

"I think the heartless might be trying to destroy this world. That dark ball of energy in the sky, I've seen it before. It was hovering over the islands the night my home was destroyed."

Jiminy swallowed. "We have to find the keyhole fast."

"But we can't defeat the toon heartless." "What about that dip substance Roger mentioned? "

Sora shook his head. "In this world, I'm a toon. It can destroy me and then who will face the heartless until King Mickey comes back?"

"But Valiant can use it safely right?" Jiminy tapped Sora's hand with his umbrella. "I think you should tell him what you know. The fate of this world depends on it. This is something someone with a good conscience would do."

Sora nodded, turning around.

"Done talking to your imaginary friend?" Valiant said.

Sora put out his hand. Jiminy bowed.

"Hello, my name is Jiminy Cricket. I think you should listen to what Sora has to say, Mr. Valiant. We are all in danger."

"No kidding. Toons attacking, a swarm of monsters turning on their own kind, and to top it off, some kind of dark meteor appearing overhead."

"You noticed it too?"

"Yes." Valiant crossed his arms. "I think it's time you explain who you really are, kid."

Sora frowned. "What?"

"I may have been out of the sleuthing game for a while, but I'm not that thick. You three," he nodded toward Donald and Goofy, "are clearly not from around here. You don't seem to know how toons work, despite being toons yourself. There isn't a single toon that doesn't know Acme, the guy that owns Toontown, and yet you acted as though it was the first time you had heard his name. You appeared right around the time those heartless creatures did and you're not utterly terrified of the dip. Not to mention that you are the most level headed and least zany toons I've ever met."

Sora wasn't sure if he should be flattered or concerned. "Okay, I'll explain, but not here. We need someplace private."

Valiant looked at Benny the taxi.

"Think you can outrun those monsters?"

The taxi toon clicked his teeth. "Don't insult me."

"Good. Give us a ride back to my place. It's time we get all of our clues together."

* * *

Riku hung back while King Mickey fought a wave of neoshadows. He expertly sliced and weaved through the heartless' long limbs and claws. A few shadow heartless managed to pass the king by, moving toward Riku. Raising his soul eater, Riku breathed in deep and felt the sparks from his heart rising up in his bones.

"Thundaga!"

Lightning sizzled through the shadows, obliterating them. Up ahead, King Mickey slashed through the last heartless. He only had a second to rest. A group of darkballs appeared. They circled Mickey, their round bodies rotating, their teeth chewing the air.

A darkball lunged, aiming to tackle Mickey. The king jumped in the last second, bounced off the heartless' body and flew up in the air. The darkballs moved upward to try and catch their prey.

Perfect.

Mickey's keyblade sparked with electricity. His lightning spell burned anything it touched to a crisp. Several of the heartless dodged, but it was already too late. From down below, Riku aimed and picked off the last few darkballs with some well timed fire spells.

The last heartless exploded and Mickey landed safely on his feet. Once the adrenaline was gone, Riku slapped a hand over his good eye. Sitting down, he took several deep breathes to stop his head from spinning.

"You okay, pal?"

Riku felt Mickey sit down next to him.

"Just dizzy."

"Well, why don't you rest for a bit?"

"I don't want to slow us down."

"Don't be so hard on yourself. You're doing a great job, even with half of your eyesight gone. You practiced all the spells I taught you and your aim has gotten better."

"But I'm not helping you fight much by hanging back like this."

"What are you talking about? You're learning to be a team player. I tell ya, it takes a lot more strength to learn to support others rather then take your own glory."

"You think so?"

"I know so! Part of being a king is to learn to rely on your people to help you run your kingdom. I wouldn't be here if I didn't believe that Minnie can handle the castle, and that Donald, Goofy, and Sora could take care of the realm of light without me."

"You really do have faith in them."

"Don't you have faith in Sora too?"

Riku stared down at his weapon. The same one that he had turned on Sora so long ago. Time and time again, Sora had stood up and fought against the darkness. And won. Mickey was right, if anyone deserved to be believed in, it was Sora.

But did Sora still have faith in Riku? After all that he had done?

Riku slapped his palms on his cheeks. He couldn't stay in the realm of darkness, feeling sorry for himself. He hadn't relied on the darkness once since he had lost sight in his left eye. He had learned to trust Mickey to take down the bigger heartless while he provided support, yet...

Mickey stuck out his tongue and blew a raspberry.

"I know that look. No more negative talk."

"But-"

"Just take it easy. Gosh, you worry a lot."

Riku snorted. "Someone had to. I swear, if it weren't for me reminding Sora to do his homework, he would have flunked school. And Kairi only got good grades because she used my notes."

"See, like I told ya. Your friends have faith in you, so you have to have faith in them and in yourself."

Faith in himself. Riku closed his good eye. Mickey was right.

So why did it feel as though the air was closing in?

Why did his skin tingle as though there were ants crawling all over him?

There was no breeze, no rain, no dust, not even the faintest echo of a sinister growl, yet every one of Riku's nerve endings buzzed with warning. Both his eyes pulsed, the ants on his skin felt as though they had started chewing.

Riku rubbed his arms and opened his eye.

The strange feeling vanished, but the panic remained.

The soul eater appeared in his hand.

"Riku?"

He turned in a circle, looking out into the empty nothing all around them. Yet he knew, with a reason he couldn't explain, that they weren't alone. A thousand invisible eyes locked on him from every direction, waiting for him to make a wrong move so they could attack.

Straight ahead, the ground cracked. Footprints and claw marks moved toward them. A pair of red spots appeared in the black void.

Mickey summoned his keyblade.

The red spots flashed.

They vanished.

Riku heard the jingling of chains from behind him.

He jumped.

The creature's teeth clamped down mere inches in front of his nose. He raised his soul eater and threw a fire spell point plank at the creature's mouth, but despite its size, the massive heartless was quick. It flashed across to the other side, and swiped at Mickey with its thick, thorny, red tipped tail.

Mickey was smacked up into the air. The heartless turned, and rose up on its hind legs, its mouth wide.

Riku sliced the heartless' back leg. The heartless stumbled. He had saved Mickey, but had also to annoyed the beast. Recovering, the heartless flashed to the side, and Riku stared at its red after-image for a second before he felt fire searing into the side of his head. The creature had swiped him with his paw.

He crashed onto the floor and stared at the blurry, dark claws that were slicing down toward him. Mickey's golden keyblade caught the claws, defecting them. They sunk into the ground next to Riku's head. The creature's growls filled Riku's ears, making his head throb. Above him, creature's underbelly moved over him as it chased and fought Mickey.

Riku felt the flash of magic. He saw the creature's blue veins and magenta tentacles pass overhead. Then came a sickening crunch, and a whimper from Mickey.

With every ounce of his strength, Riku turned. Mickey was trapped under the creature's paw. It pressed him down into the ground. The floor beneath the king cracked. Mickey's eyes rolled back into his head.

"No!"

Ignoring the pain that was still burrowing into his skull, Riku stood and charged. He sliced through the creature's claws, and it reared back, releasing Mickey. The mouse was able to crawl away and raise his keyblade in time to chant a healing spell, but then he cast a horrified look at Riku.

"Look out!"

The creature flashed forward, opened its jaws wide, and swallowed Riku whole.

* * *

Valiant leaned forward, balancing his elbows on his desk.

"I've heard some crazy stories in my line of work, but yours takes the cake. So, if I'm getting this right, clearing Roger's name is the least of our worries, because the it may just be the end of the world as we know it?"

Goofy pointed to the ceiling. "When the heartless destroy the heart of a world, the world disappears, and so do its people. That big ball of darkness overhead is a sign that they're getting close to finding the heart of this world."

"When my world was destroyed," Sora explained, "there were heartless coming out of every nook and cranny. We go around, defending the worlds from the heartless, but I haven't yet seen this many in one place. I think the fact that they're toons makes it easier for them to multiply."

"And toons can't be killed, except with dip." Valiant closed his eyes. "We're going to need one heck of an exterminator."

The door to Valiant's apartment began pounding. Grabbing a lamb, Valiant reached for the doorknob. Sora, Donald and Goofy readied their weapons. Roger cowered behind a chair. When Valiant opened the door, Dolores rushed inside. Her face was shiny with sweat, her eyes wide with terror.

"Eddie! You're okay."

Valiant grabbed her arms. "What's wrong?"

"The toon monsters! They're everywhere! All my customers are holed up in the secret room at the bar."

"And you ran out into danger to get here?"

"I had to know if you were okay. Plus, I have to tell you something I found out."

"What?"

"It's Doom, Eddie. I saw him commanding those things."

"That doesn't make sense. Judge Doom hates toons. Why would he be working with the heartless?"

"I don't know. But he was spouting some nonsense about getting rid of Toontown for good."

There was a crash outside. Sora, Donald, Goofy and Roger peeked through the blinds of Eddie's windows. A black car stopped illegally in the middle of the street. Judge Doom stepped out of the car. He opened the passenger's side door and dragged out the most beautiful toon Sora had ever seen in his life. A voluptuous woman in a crimson cocktail dress put up her hands. She had smooth, red hair and mysterious green eyes that looked up into the windows of Eddie's apartment.

Roger jumped. "Jessica!"

Donald's jaw dropped. "_That's_ your wife?"

Without warning, Roger slammed through Eddie's window, leaving a rabbit shaped hole in the glass. Donald and Goofy chased after him. Sora was about to jump out and join them when he realized that Valiant wasn't following.

"Mr. Valiant, they need our help!"

Valiant turned to Dolores. "Stay inside and stay safe until we've sorted this out."

Sora landed on his feet on the street below. A moment later, Valiant exited the apartment building through the front door. Before anyone could do anything. Judge Doom put his cane under Jessica Rabbit's neck.

Roger fumed, steam puffing out from his ears. "Doom, if you hurt a single hair on her head, I swear I'm going to-"

"Do what? Haven't you fools noticed that you are surrounded?"

Though Roger's gesture to jump straight into danger at the sight of his wife was heartfelt, it had been pretty reckless. The heartless surrounded Valiant, Roger and the trio. Valiant put up his hands, walking toward Judge Doom.

"What do you plan to do with these creatures? Destroy Toontown?"

"That's the idea. Mr. Valiant."

"And I suppose you got rid of RK Maroon and Acme because they would have been the first to react if something had happened to toons?"

"Well, I couldn't have the owner of Toontown asking questions. And Mr. Maroon had a certain softness for toons, after working with them to make movies and cartoons for so long. It made sense for the heartless to take care of them."

"Ya know, your honor, for a judge, you're not that smart."

Judge Doom smiled. "And for a detective, you don't seem to have a firm grasp of how dangerous the situation is."

"Maybe, but at least I'm not dumb enough to admit guilt in front of several witnesses. I was just taking a shot in the dark, Judge. What's your excuse?"

The sky flashed and there was a roar of thunder overhead. Sora looked up. The sphere of darkness above had doubled in size.

"You, Doom guy."

'That's Judge Doom, young man. Toons. As disrespectful as ever."

"Why did you bring heartless into this world?"

Doom tilted his head. "Bring the heartless? It was not I that invited these creatures here. In fact, it as a toon that introduced me to these, rather, obedient lackeys. You see, young man, even some toons have enough sense to support my vision."

Sora blinked. "You didn't bring the heartless here? But then who-" He shook his head. "It doesn't matter. You have to stop using the heartless. They're going to destroy much more then Toontown. If you don't stop, then this whole world could disappear."

"What a creative lie from a desperate toon." Judge Doom swept his arm. "Take them away."

The heartless pounced on Sora, Roger, Donald, Goofy and Valiant.

* * *

_**Jiminy's Journal**_

Dark Hide (First Appeared in Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep Final Mix, 2010): A truly monstrous pure-blood heartless that stalks the realm of darkness. Able to cloak itself in darkness, it uses its incredible speed to vanish and ambush its prey, leaving only an red after-image behind as it moves. Its power was able to overwhelm both Riku and Mickey, allow it to swallow the former whole.


	22. Chapter 21: The Dip

**DISCLAIMER**: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy or any of the Disney/Square Enix characters that appear in this work. Please support the original releases.

* * *

**_Chapter 21: The Dip_**

* * *

Sora discovered two very unfortunate things when woke up. The first was that a heavy, steel pair of manacles were tied around his wrists. There was even a ball and chain connected to the metal cuffs around his ankles. The second was that he was sitting back to back with Valiant, Roger, Donald and Goofy, and all four of them were knocked out.

Sora struggled. "Wake up!"

Valiant, Goofy, and Donald came to, but Roger was still out cold with his tongue sticking out from between his lips.

"Are you guys okay?"

Goofy's eyes rolled. "I see stars."

Donald shook his head. "I think I'm okay. Where are we?"

"This is Acme's factory," Valiant explained.

Sora scanned the brick warehouse. From the large, glass windows along the walls, he could see the storm brewing outside. There were no stars in the sky. Purple lightning flashed in the furious dark clouds. Sora swallowed, wondering how long they had before the heartless found the keyhole and destroyed the world.

To distract himself, Sora looked around the factory. There were mountains of wooden crates, each labeled with black letters that spelled out words like Acme shoes, Acme fireworks, Acme portable holes, and Acme singing swords. There were prop missiles hanging from the ceiling, crates full of dynamite, metal ten-ton blocks that hung precariously from the scaffolding above. The dangerous materials clashed with all the zany props. Buckets of industrial glue, giant balloons, clowns, cacti with ten gallon hates, cartoon mallets, merry go rounds, oversized magnets, inflatable hotdogs, and candy props were stacked under the walls. But what caught Sora's attention the most was a dark blue curtain that covered a big lump in the middle of the room. The lump had with wheels, and for some reason, Sora felt uneasy whenever he stared at it.

He spotted Jessica Rabbit. She was rope-tied to metal beam that came down from the high ceiling.

Donald let out a breathe. "Wow."

Jiminy popped out of Sora's hood and landed on the duck's beak.

"Now Donald, it's impolite to stare at a lady."

"Daisy would be mighty upset if she were here," Goofy mumbled sadly.

Donald shook his head vigorously. "S-sorry."

"Jiminy," Sora tilted his head toward his wrists, "do you think you can get these cuffs off? I can't aim my own keyblade at them when my hands are tied. If you free me, I can use the keyblade to free the others."

"I'll try." Jiminy landed on Sora's hands and used his umbrella to try and pick the lock on the handcuffs.

While he was busy, Sora wriggled and turned to speak to Jessica.

"Excuse me, ma'am, but do you think you can explain what's going on?"

Jessica looked over at Roger. "Oh honey bunny," she cried in a deep, sultry voice.

"He been looking for ya. He was really upset when he heard you were playing patty-cake with Mr. Acme," Goofy added.

Pain crossed Jessica's delicate brows. "I had no choice. Maroon told me that if I didn't pose for those pictures, if I didn't play patty-cake with Acme, then Roger would never get an acting job in this town again. I couldn't let that happen! I would do anything for my husband."

"Why was Maroon setting up Roger?" Valiant asked.

"He wasn't setting up Roger," Jessica explained, "he was trying to use those pictures to blackmail Marvin Acme. But none of that matters now. Doom doesn't care about Maroon or Acme anymore. He's lost his mind. He's turning toons into monsters, corrupting them."

"You mean turning them into heartless?"

"Is that what they're called? Well it doesn't matter. He plans to use them and the dip to destroy Toontown."

"How do you know all that?"

"I've been investigating to try and clear Roger's name. Then I witnessed Doom, and some other toon talking about using 'the power of darkness to clear away the filth from this world.' I wanted to warn Roger, but Doom caught me."

"In your apartment?"

"Yes."

"Hold on." Sora frowned. "Doom said something about another toon helping him. This toon you saw, talking to Doom about the darkness, what did he look like? Was he a tall, witch doctor in a top hat?"

"No," Jessica made a disgusted face, "he was an old man dressed in long, black and purple robes. Even though he was a toon, he looked at the rest of us like we're bugs under a moldy stone. He kept referring to us as gypsies."

"Old man?"

"Remember that stuffy, old fool we ran into right outside Roger's house," Valiant said.

"He's the one working with Doom?"

"Makes the most sense."

Sora looked down at the manacles around hands. "Jiminy, how's it going?"

"This is a hard lock to pop, Sora. I need more time."

The door at the end of the factory opened. Oily toon heartless slithered into the room. They pulled Valiant and Roger away from the trio. The movement finally roused Roger.

When he spotted Jessica, he kicked his feet.

"My dearest! Are you all right?"

"Oh darling, I'm more then well now that you're awake!"

"Hey lovebirds, do you really think now is the best time?" Valiant snapped.

But Roger wasn't listening. He slipped his hands and feet out of the manacles and ballerina jumped toward his wife.

"What?" Valiant roared. "You mean to tell me you could have escaped those cuffs at any time?"

"No, not at any time. Only when it was funny."

"Funny? Do you not see the state we're in?"

"Now is the best time to be funny! There's no better time for humor then when faced with life's biggest hardships."

Jessica sighed dreamily. "Oh Roger, that was brilliant!"

Roger busied himself with untying his wife, having completely forgotten about the heartless that had been dragging him away seconds before. Leaving Valiant on the floor, the heartless snuck up on Roger and tried to nab him from behind.

Either Roger had sensed them coming or he was a total dumb dumb, because he jumped up a full twenty feet into the air, screaming. Jessica stoically watched him panic from her spot down below. The heartless jumped up after Roger. In his attempt to escape capture, Roger accidentally knocked over the heavy metal weights, squashing the heartless flat. He also knocked over a giant ax that would have nearly cut Valiant's head off. Lucky for Valiant, the ax only caught the manacles on his wrists, freeing him from his metal restraints. While the heartless twitched on the floor, Jessica wriggled out of her loose ropes. Roger finally got back on the ground and jumped in Jessica's arms. Their happy reunion was cut short, because, a moment later, a cruel voice called out.

"Enough. Capture those two buffoons and the temptress before they make their escape."

The heartless recovered and it didn't take them long before they restrained Jessica and Roger.

"Come on, Jiminy," Sora whispered.

The toon man from Roger's apartment walked into the factory. His beady, narrowed eyes made Sora chest burn.

"So, _you_ were the guy Jessica was talking about. Why are you working with Doom to attack everyone?"

The man gave a sideways glance at Roger's wife.

"I see the siren has lured you in with her treacherous wiles."

Jessica cast a foul look at the robed man.

Ignoring her, the man returned his attention to Sora. In that moment, Sora had to resist every temptation not to look down at his hands and draw attention to Jiminy. The little cricket was smart. He stopped picking the lock and hid in Sora's hands mere moments before the old man loomed over the trio.

"You've changed forms as well I see, but no matter what guise you wear, gypsies such as yourselves cannot disguise their hideous true nature."

"Gypsies? We're not gypsies, we're toons."

"Hedonists that live outside the world order, partaking in vice and sin. How are you any different then the thieving gypsies that have infested my world?"

"If you really cared about this world, you would stop! The heartless are destroying it!"

"That's of little consequence to me."

"How can you be callous? All these toons, all the people here, they'll lose their home, and their hearts."

"That is the price they will pay for straying from the path of the righteousness."

"No wonder you and Judge Doom can work together. Both of you have so much against people who are different. You are the one that brought the heartless and the darkness here, aren't you?"

"Do not twist the truth, boy. These creatures have been gifted to me by our Lord, and they follow my commands. I will use them to purge the world of the common, vulgar, weak, licentious crowd. And once I have exercised my judgement upon this world, I shall be allowed to return to my own, where I shall use the gifts given to me to purge all the gypsies from Paris."

Sora glared. "You're own world? You're not from here, which means you came in through the castle door. You're on Doctor Facilier's team. Who are you?"

He looked down at Sora in the same way one looks at filth. There was nothing but utter contempt in his tight frown.

"Very well, I shall grace you with my name. I am known as Judge Claude Frollo. And I am not that so called 'doctor's' ally. He is yet another means to an end. Once I have finished my business here, he will assist me in getting back to my world. Then I shall enact judgement upon him, and that gypsy 'treasure hunter' as well."

Donald and Goofy's eyes widened. "Treasure hunter?"

Sora hissed. "What did you do Locke? Where is he?"

"He's been put in the proper prison. A more merciful act then he deserves. If I had my way, he would have been disposed of long ago."

More heartless popped out of the air. They closed on the trio, but they did not attack. Frollo raised his hand, signaling the heartless to wait. Across the warehouse, the heartless opened the front door and Judge Doom appeared.

He walked over to the blue curtain.

"Do you know what this is, my dear toons?"

He pulled on a rope and the curtain fell off the massive mechanical monstrosity underneath it. A demonic bulldozer, with spikes at on its blade, glared at the trio. A giant, cauldron of neon green, smoking liquid, bubbled on the back of the machine.

Roger and Jessica instinctively moved away from cauldron but couldn't get far because of the heartless holding them back.

"Oh no! It's dip!"

"That's right," Doom roared triumphantly, pointing at the red, turret at the top of the machine. A power hose was attached to it. "Enough to dip Towntown off the face of the earth. A vehicle of my own design. Five thousand gallons of heated dip, pumped at enormous velocity through a pressurized water canon. Toontown will be erased in a matter of minutes!"

"You have to stop!"

Judge Doom whirled as though he were on a conveyer belt. He pointed his cane at Sora.

"There's no stopping it now. The heartless toons have attacked so many regular citizens. At this point, everyone in this city will happy to be rid of all the menaces in Toontown."

Despite his restraints, Valiant stood up.

"So, you were making those creatures attack toon and human alike to frame toons as violent? So that people wouldn't complain when Towntown was completely destroyed? You're kidding me!"

"None of that matters now," Sora said.

"Yeah! It's not just Toontown that's going down," Donald added.

"This whole world is going to be destroyed!" Goofy pointed his chin to the window. "Just look outside! The darkness storm is getting worse. There's way too many heartless here!"

"What foolishness," Frollo huffed. "Shall we get rid of these seditious voices and get on with destroying the town?"

"Indeed. Tie the toons together with escape-proof-toon-rope," Judge Doom snapped at the heartless.

Sora held his fists in front of his face. "Jiminy," he whispered. "Get to safety."

"But-"

"Just do it!"

Jiminy hopped away, disappearing into the Acme props.

The heartless swarmed the toons, tying them all up and hanging them from a hook. Soon, Sora, Donald, Goofy, Roger and Jessica were hoisted up into the air, hanging in front of the factory's back wall. The heartless began to work Doom's dip machine, pointing the water canon at the hanging toons.

"It's over Mr. Valiant," said Doom. "You'll watch your toon friends get dipped and then the heartless will get rid of you."

The heartless pressed a button and a stream of dip shot through the air at the toons. Sora, Donald, Goofy, Jessica and Roger lifted their legs, barely avoiding the hot liquid. Sora's shoe slipped off his foot and he watched it melt into the puddle of dip below.

Valiant turned toward Frollo. "Creepy old man. How can you just stand there and watch your own kind be destroyed?"

"I'm surprised one such as yourself cares about these unholy creatures. All they do is twist the mind with frivolous laughter."

"What is with it with you judges? Sentencing toons to death based solely on your bias? Does judiciary law suddenly not matter anymore? Where's the justice?"

Dark dust rose up from Frollo's robe like a smoke from an unholy fire. "Fool. I am the only administrator of true justice."

Up on the hook, Roger clapped his ears. "Come on you guys, 'Shave and a Haircut?' Remember?"

Donald and Goofy bonked heads. The heartless paused for a moment, clapping the last two beats.

"Idiots," Doom roared. "One of these days, your compulsive need to funny will be your undoing! Just dip the toons and get on with it!"

Down below, Valiant's eyes widened. He looked at the heartless that were still trying to clap the last two beats of "Shave and a Haircut." Then he cast his eyes around the entire warehouse before he faced Judge Doom.

"Nothing's funny to you ain't it, Judge Sourpuss?"

Doom pulled a blade out of his cane and pointed the sharp end at Valiant.

"Do you have a problem with that?"

Valiant walked backward, away from the blade. "Naw. I just think you should open up your mind, maybe embrace the laughter. I'm mean, you're on the verge of getting what you want, why not have a little fun in the process?"

Valiant's back hit a merry-go-round. He reached behind him and pressed one of the buttons on the merry-go-round's control panel. The machine's drums, trumpets and xylophones began playing themselves. The merry-go-round lit up, and soon chipper, excited music filled the whole warehouse.

Judge Doom and Frollo glared at Valiant, but were too slow to stop him when he began singing and dancing. From above, the toons watched Valiant's crazy routine.

"He's lost his mind," said Jessica.

Roger smiled. "I don't think so. Look."

Roger's ear pointed at the heartless on top of the dip machine. Try as they might, they were bouncing along with the music. Some of them even started doing pitfalls alongside Eddie.

"Oh! I get it! Ayuck! They can't resist being funny!"

"Come on, Sora," Donald said, "crack some jokes!"

"Now? How do you expect me to be funny when I'm hanging by a thread here?"

Roger erupted into a giggling fit. "Hah! Word humor! Puns! Hanging by a thread! Hah!"

Straight ahead, the heartless at the turret started twitching, almost as though it were in pain. Roger's began kicking his feet, making the hook above him swing back and forth like a pendulum.

Sora tried not barf. "I mean, I always hoped I'd go down swinging but this is not what I meant."

Donald joined Roger's laughter.

"You guys gotta help me think of something funny here." Sora wriggled in his restraints. "I'm kind of at the end of my rope."

Jessica tried to keep her face straight, but even she couldn't resist snorting. The heartless behind the turret was writhing now. Suddenly, it fell over, bursting into dust.

Down below, Valiant picked up three steel balls. He juggled but his timing was off and he missed catching a ball, allowing the other two to bounce on his head. He lost his balance, slipped on a random banana peel and crashed into some of the Acme boxes.

Roger and Goofy were in hysterics. Jessica and Donald wiggled with laughter.

More heartless fell over, convulsing. One of them even fell into the vat of dip.

"It's working!" Sora brightened. "Of course! Laugher. Light. Mr. Valiant, keeps the jokes coming! We're slaying 'em! Hey Donald, what do you call a clever duck?"

"I don't know."

"A wise quacker!"

Donald, Roger and Goofy screamed with delight. Valiant jumped out of the Acme boxes on a pogo stick. He bounced up and down for a few seconds before his head hit a lamp hanging from the ceiling. Valiant screamed as he took a massive shock.

If Sora and the rest of the toons were laughing before, it was nothing compared to the breathless screeches they were doing now. The heartless twitched, clutching their bellies, falling over one by one. They began to explode.

"What disrespectful, disgusting frivolity," Frollo growled.

"Stop the comedy routine, you fools!"

Doom and Frollo moved toward Valiant, who by this time had fallen to the floor and was rubbing his forehead. Doom readied his blade, and Frollo raised his hand, a black fire spell glimmering on his fingertips.

"Get those toons dipped right now!"

The last heartless jumped on the machine and moved the turret. A stream of dip shot out of the cannon.

Roger yowled. "Swing for your life!"

Everyone leaned to the right and swung away from the stream, but that didn't stop the heartless. It moved the turret and the dip stream rose higher.

"Eddie! Help!"

Valiant, no longer dizzy, backflipped away from Frollo and Judge Doom. He lost his balance and bonked his head on a steel beam. Roger snickered. "Ah! The old slip and bonk! Classic! What timing!"

One more fit of laughter from Donald and Goofy did it. The last heartless was done for. It burst into nothing but without it, there was no one manning the machine and it was still running! The stream of dip inched closer and closer to the toons. Down below, Valiant was busy ducking under Doom's sword and Frollo's fire spells.

Sora could smell the acidic stink of the dip in his nose. The fumes made his eyes burn with tears.

"This is it my darling," Jessica closed her eyes. "I want you to know how much I love you. I've loved you more then any woman has ever loved a rabbit."

Donald wailed. "Come on, swing!"

But it was impossible to move the hook far enough.

The stream of dip was inches away from burning their legs.

A tiny spec jumped on the machine. It bounced up and down on top of a lever. The lever snapped downward. The stream of dip weakened. The machine turned off.

Sora caught his breathe just in time to see Jiminy land on his hands.

"I'm so glad I made it in time! Are you all right?"

Sora cheered. "Jiminy, you're amazing!"

The cricket blushed. "Shucks. There was no way I was going to let my friends get dipped. Now hold still Sora, I've got to get these manacles off."

Sora looked down at Valiant. He was completely outmatched. He tried to punch Doom, but the judge was surprisingly fast and dodged with ease. There was no time for another attack. Valiant had to duck and cover from each one of Frollo's fire spells.

Picking up one of oversized magnets, Valiant tried to pull Doom's sword out of his hand. Doom simply let the sword go and it flew through the air. Before he could get stabbed, Valiant turned the magnet around. The sword clattered to the ground, but the magnet got caught around Valiant's waist, and he flew back toward a metal beam.

Trapped between the magnet and the beam, Valiant was a sitting duck. Unable to escape, he could only watch as both Frollo and Doom advanced on him, ready to both skewer and char broil him.

Doom pulled his sword back.

Frollo released his fire spell.

Sora felt the locks around him hands pop off, but he was still rope tied to the hook. There was a net full of bricks hanging above Valiant.

Sora called the keyblade to his hand and hurled it at the net holding the bricks.

The keyblade shredded the netting. Frollo jumped back, but Valiant reached out and grabbed Doom's foot, keeping him from escaping. The ton of bricks pummeled Doom and stopped the fire spell from burning Valiant.

A flat hand popped out of the brick pile. Doom rose up out of the bricks, stars circling his head. He was cartoonishly rubbery and flattened.

Valiant's jaw dropped. "Holy smokes! He's a toon!"

"Not just any toon," Doom sang. He re-inflated, his eyeballs popping out of his head.

A look of horror crossed Valiant's face. "I know those crazy eyes anywhere! You're the toon that got my brother!"

Doom leaned back and laughed, his voice pitching higher and higher until it was an unearthly shriek that threatened to blow out Sora's eardrums. From above, Roger cowered at the sight of the red, insane, rolling, toon eyes in Doom's three diminutional face.

Frollo seethed. "All this time, you were just the same as these lowly creatures?"

Doom turned around, casting a freakishly wide grin and deranged, piercing gaze at Frollo.

"And what are you going to do about Judge Frollo?" Doom's eyes stretched out his scull, turning into swords. "I swore to destroy all toons. Did you think that didn't include you?"

Although he wasn't a hodgepodge of toon and man, the wrinkles that deepened when Frollo's face stretched into a sinister glower, were just as terrifying.

"I'm much purer then one such as yourself. You deserve to cleansed just like the rest of your kind."

"You're welcome to _try_," Doom screeched. "I could use a little f-f-fun! Isn't that right, Mr. Valiant?"

Frollo's teeth clenched, his sneer deranged. Fire engulfed his hand. "May you be the first example of how my fires smite the wicked."

Black fire sailed through the air toward Doom's rubbery face. The spell crashed into Doom, and an explosion of flames obscured his body. Frollo watched with an indifferent expression until Doom shot up from the fire. Cartoon springs were attached to Doom's feet. He grasshopper jumped toward Frollo. Removing one of his gloves, revealing a golden, toon anvil underneath, Doom's arm stretched. He tried to smash Frollo with his anvil fist.

Frollo's robes began to move on their own and soon, he was floating around the room, throwing down molten balls of lava at Doom, who slithered and stretched like a rubber band, avoiding the attacks. The fire spells fell on the Acme props, making the fireworks and dynamite explode. The industrial glue burst into flames, but Doom and Frollo completely ignored it as they raged against each other.

Doom sliced with a cartoon razor blade growing out of his arm. Frollo flew out the way, and the razor blade cut through steel beams and the ropes holding up the scaffolding. The hook holding the toons swung lower. Caught in the chaos, the toons got singed by random fireworks, coughed on the smoke that was filling the factory, and were attacked by the random, flying props.

Down below, Valiant struggled to escape the magnet holding him. By some miracle, he avoided the fire spells and props and managed to grab an Acme portable hole. He pressed the hole into the magnet. A piece of the magnet disappeared into the black hole, freeing Valiant, but he wasn't safe yet.

Doom and Frollo's rampage forced him to run and duck. Seeing him from above, Doom swooped down to try and slice Valiant with his razor arm. He only backed off Valiant when one of Frollo's fire spells caught his cape. Flames crept up the hems of his clothes.

Valiant was running for his life. If it wasn't Doom slashing at him, or Frollo's fire spells threatening to turn him into steak, it was the props trying to fry, flatten, blast, or slice him into pieces.

Sora watched the fight, pulling at the rope around his chest. "This is insane! We have to do something!"

"We can't escape this rope," Roger said. "It's toon proof!" Sora looked out the window. The storm was no longer visible. Instead, the world outside the factory was inky black. Both Valiant and the world were running out of time!

"We can't stay up here! We have to do something."

"But even if we could get down," Goofy said, "the floor below is covered in dip."

"Wait, the dip!" Jessica said. "Can you throw your weapon again?"

"What do you want me to do?"

"Move the turret so that it aims at Doom and Frollo?"

"Oh! I see what she means, Sora."

Jiminy hopped away. Sora saw his little spec jumping toward the dip machine.

"Okay, here goes."

Sora threw the keyblade at the turret. The pressure hose moved slightly to the right. He tried again and again, but the noise drew attention. Doom and Frollo looked up.

"Uh, don't mind us," Roger said. "We're just hanging around."

"Yeah," Sora snapped, "can't you let us off the hook just once?"

"Hey, Frollo, I heard Doom say you were a lilly livered phony," Donald said.

"Yeah," Goofy added, "he thinks _you're_ the impure one."

That did it. Frollo gathered up all his energy. A sword of fire appeared in his hand. He flew at Doom, intending to melt him with his sword. With one more throw, Sora was able to angle the water canon so that it was right above Doom and Frollo.

"Jiminy. Now!"

Jiminy jumped on the lever and the dip splashed out of the cannon, completely drenching the floor. Doom and Frollo moved away from the stream, but didn't see Valiant pick up a cartoon mallet down below. He aimed and pressed a button the mallet's handle. A boxing glove shot out the mallet, punching Doom into a shower of dip.

Doom's high pitched screams vibrated along the walls and the metal props. The dip melted him into the floor. Frollo flew over the ground, but even he wasn't fast enough to avoid getting splashed with dip once Valiant climbed up the machine and aimed the water canon at him. Furious, Frollo threw a ball of magma at Valiant.

That had been a mistake. The fireball knocked Valient away from the turret, but it also broke the water canon. Dip exploded out of the machine, drenching Frollo. He didn't even have time to yelp before he was erased from the world.

With both Doom and Frollo done for, Valiant recovered. He turned off the dip machine. Then he moved toward a set of rep pipes in a corner of the factory and turned the valve.

All the fire hydrants in the factory burst, washing away the dip down the drainage holes on the floor and dousing the remaining fires. With the floor clear, Valiant was able to lower the toons safely to the ground and untie them. Moments after they were free, Benny the Taxi, Dolores and the police burst into the factory.

Benny shined his headlights over the melted yellow paint on the floor. A rubber mask and a black suit lay over the paint.

"Sister Mary Francis! What happened here?" Benny said.

"That's all that's left of Judge Doom," Valiant explained. "Turns out he was a toon all along."

"Wait a minute," said one of the police officers. "That's the same paint that was on the scene where Acme and Maroon vanished."

"Yep," Valiant let out a deep breathe. "This joker was responsible for the loss of Marvin Acme, RK Maroon and my brother. I think that's enough proof to show that Roger's innocent."

The police officer's face darkened. "Sure, he's innocent."

"Then what's with the look," Valiant said.

"I got bigger fish to fry, Eddie. The storm outside is somehow causing earthquakes and there are still those monsters moving about. Roger may be innocent but what about all those other inky, toon creatures."

Sora came forward. "I can explain all that, but first, I need everyone's help. We need to stop that storm before it destroys everything."

"What are you talking about, kid?"

"Just hear him out," said Valiant. "He's a good kid. He really saved my hide back there."

The police officer nodded at Sora. "Okay."

"I need everyone to look for a shiny, glowing keyhole. And if you want to take down those toon monsters, do something funny and laugh. They can't stand laughter."

Roger stood straight and saluted. "I'm on it Sora! I'll get the word out to the toons! They'll find this keyhole before you can say door to darkness!"

Sora blinked. "Wait a minute, how do you know about that? I never-"

But Roger had already left.

Jessica blew a kiss at Sora. The toon kiss fluttered in the air like a butterfly and smacked Sora on the face. "Thank you for saving my husband."

Sora whipped the kiss off his cheek, blushing. "Uh, sure. No problem."

She turned to leave.

"Wait!" Donald jumped in front of her. "I have to ask. How are and Roger together?"

Jessica winked. "He makes me laugh."

* * *

It took the combined efforts of all the toons, Valiant, Dolores, and the police to clear the heartless from the world. Even some of the patrons from Dolores' saloon helped. Sora couldn't remember the last time he had laughed so hard. Roger had pulled no punches, bringing in some of the greatest physical comedy Sora had ever seen. Normally, he would have been terrified of someone getting stabbed, squashed, set on fire, stung by bees, electrocuted, and even cut into a million pieces, but Roger made it all look so comical, and it absolutely devistated the heartless.

By the time Benny and Roger located the keyhole in Toontown's city hall, Sora's stomach and cheeks were killing him. With the keyhole locked tight, the darkness storm cleared away from the world. Toontown came back to life, as zany as ever.

What was once a deserted city was now full of nonstop movement and gags. Donald got squashed under a falling anvil. Goofy got a pie to the face after a circus truck full of monkeys raced by. The colors brightened. The cartoons came out into the streets to sing and dance.

Valiant turned toward Sora and put out his hand. "Thanks for helping me bring that Judge Doom to justice."

The moment Sora touched the detective's hand, he felt a zing go up his arm and tingle all over his body. His entire body zapped so hard that his hair actually went from spiky to smooth for one second. Sora yelped and let go.

Valiant, laughing, held up his hand, revealing a buzzer hidden in his palm.

"Gotcha kid."

"Do my eyes deceive me?" Roger blinked. "Eddie Valiant? Laughing? Making a practical joke? You've regained your sense of humor?"

"I know. Shocking isn't it?"

Roger, Sora, Donald and Goofy stared with their mouths handing open. "Did you just make a pun?"

"Well," Valiant spread his arms wide, "it _is_ Toontown."

* * *

Dark cocooned Riku, squeezing him tight like a fly caught in a web. It pulled him down, deeper into a black sea of nothing.

Fear chewed at his heart. The darkness seeped into his lungs. His body begged for air, for light, for home, for his friends, for relief from his regrets.

_ Don't fight. You belong here._

It couldn't be true. Not after trying so hard to escape.

_ You can't control the darkness, can't fight it. You should just accept it. Accept me. _Ansem's voice echoed from within. Riku felt something thick and slimy spreading in his chest and abdomen. It wasn't cold, it wasn't hot, it was liquid fear and despair and it was making him forget. Who he was, why he was there, what it felt like to laugh, or cry.

Something burned his eye. A sphere of light floated down from above.

"Riku! Fight! Don't let the darkness win."

King Mickey?

Memories rushed inside his skull. Images of boy on the beach, a boy he was constantly competing with, filled his mind and heart. There were also memories of a girl, one that bossed her two friends around, one that was easy going, even with her friends' competitive antics. Another memory showed images of King Mickey, and reminded him of the joy of fighting at his side.

He wasn't alone. Not anymore. And even if he were, he wouldn't forget. But the voice kept screaming from within his heart.

_No matter how hard you run, how hard you fight, the darkness will always be there! You will lose to it, again and again. _

King Mickey's voice was slipping further away, but Riku was still able to make out the words.

"You're more then your mistakes! Even if you mess up, as long as you keep trying to be better, the darkness can never win."

_Just accept it. There will always be darkness in your heart. _

"You're right," Riku said.

_Yes._

"The darkness will always be there. There is darkness in every heart."

_You finally see the truth._

"But that doesn't mean I have to give in to it."

There was anger in the voice now.

_You already have, fool._

Riku struggled against the dark web he was tangled in, freeing his leg.

"There was darkness in my heart back in Destiny Islands. There was darkness in my heart when I let Maleficent manipulate me, when I stole the keyblade from Sora in Hollow Bastion. Even now, this darkness, this place, this _is_ my heart, but I haven't completely disappeared in the darkness yet. I will fight. I control this darkness, not the other way around!"

A tiny star appeared above Riku's eye. He reached out and grabbed it.

Destiny Islands. The sound of the beach, the laughter of all the children playing on the shore, the stupid grin on Sora's face whenever they raced, Kairi's cheeky, sneaky giggle. He may never see them again with eyes. But, no matter what, he will be reunited with his friends.

The star's light washed over Riku, freeing him from the dark binding. He floated, his soul eater in his hand, ready for battle.

The bitter smell of greed and rage filled the air. A man materialized in the darkness in front of Riku. He was a tall, handsome man with silver hair and a muscular build. One look at his menacing, yellow eyes easily revealed the hollow, emptiness of his soul.

Riku pointed his soul eater at the man.

"I know now. You're not the real Ansem. Sora defeated Ansem when he restored the worlds. You are what I fear. My fear of the darkness. Me, running away from all my mistakes instead of facing them. Me, being afraid of forgiveness."

The man's smile was mocking. "Is that what you believe? Foolish boy."

"No, that's just the darkness in my heart talking. All my worries and doubts. Before I let my jealousy, my pride, lead me to use the darkness, to let it grow. I forgot what hope, what faith and connection felt like."

Riku looked up, toward the surface of the darkness. Just beyond, he smelled something sweet. It was faint, but he could feel King Mickey's light in the distance. He felt the honey smell of it tingling his nose.

"I've run away from the light, and I've feared the darkness. Now I have a choice. I can give in to you here, or I can face my darkness and accept it all."

Riku raised his weapon, and spread his feet.

"I will accept my darkness, but I will never let it consume me again!"

The man's shoulders tightened. A heartless guardian appeared behind him. Though the guardian's muscular, black body, blended into the darkness, its sharp, tightly-clenched teeth floated menacingly in the void.

"Go ahead then. Overtaking you will be simple if you rely on the darkness to defeat me."

"You can't use my darkness against me. It's mine to use."

"Don't delude yourself. I can see the fear in you."

"I will face it, even if I'm afraid."

"Then are you ready to pay the price?"

Riku closed his good eye. He could smell the stink, taste the bitter acid of darkness in the air. Yet, if he concentrated hard enough, he felt the slight, sweet tingle of light. It was still in him.

King Mickey's voice echoed in his heart. "Light and darkness are both a part of who you are. Both will make you stronger."

Riku turned his soul eater toward his chest. He used the sharp side of the blade to slice off a piece of fabric from his shirt. He tied the black strip around his eyes.

"I'm ready."

"Then submit!"

Riku stilled. The itch of the darkness rushed toward him, its bitter taste getting closer. He breathed in deep, trying to calm his terrified heart.

_ I know now I don't need the keyblade. I've got a better weapon. My heart. _

To think he had laughed at what Sora had said. To think he had called Sora's heart weak. He was no different.

_ I don't need a weapon. My friends are my power. _

And so were Riku's friends. And so was his darkness.

The smell and taste of darkness were on him.

He attacked.

His first strike slashed the guardian across the face. The false Ansem fell back, and sent saw-blades of darkness hurtling toward Riku.

With his eyes closed, he heard the meat grinder sound of the blades approaching. With his nose he felt the sting of darkness nearing from the left and right. Riku ducked, and from his position below, he gathered dark energy in his hand.

All of his regrets and pain, all of the hardships he had endured in the realm of darkness, gathered from his mind and heart. The spell sparked and grew in his hand. Riku transferred its dark energy to the soul eater.

Ansem was near, and his darkness was growing, but Riku was no longer felt fear. The darkness made him faster, his acceptance of himself made it easy to channel the negative feelings he had been suppressing for so long.

"Firaga!"

The fire spell zoomed toward Ansem. He dodged, but that was Riku had been hoping for. Once Ansem had moved out of the way, Riku flashed through the darkness. He appeared behind Ansem, and with the darkness gathered on his blade he slashed the guardian in half.

Ansem staggered back, surprised, which gave Riku just enough time to gather more dark energy.

The dark power gathered in his hand, burning his fingers. It sizzled up his arm, neck and face. It blazed into his right eye, but he didn't feel any pain. Instead, he felt the release of letting go of all his anger, jealousy, fear, pride, and regret. The emotions only made his dark fire spell stronger. He released the darkness.

The spell through Ansem, or the darkness, or the manifestation of Riku's fears. Whatever it was, it vanished, never to be seen again.

Riku could feel the darkness crumbling around him. Sweet scented, warm light broke through the gloom. The black void was weakening. It was time to slice his way out of the beast.

And with the darkness gathering in one spot, with the scent of the beast's power getting stronger, it was easy for Riku to slice through the monster he was trapped inside. He felt the rush of flying through the creature. Then he landed back on his feet in the same platform in the realm of darkness he had been on before the dark hide had swallowed him.

There was nothing in front of his eyes, no shapes or colors, but his nose and ears sensed the darkness coming. Riku jumped back just before the creature's teeth could clamp down on him.

"Riku! You're okay!"

King Mickey's voice.

The darkness was sneaking closer to his back. Riku ducked when he felt the air shift above him. He felt the bitter, angry energy near his legs and he jumped before he could be tripped by the giant heartless' tail.

"You can see again!" Mickey said excitedly.

The king's light tickled his side. Mickey was standing next to him.

"No, I can't see at all."

But he could sense it. The dark, the light, it was all around him, pressing on his skin, tingling his nose, seeping into his ears, exerting pockets of pressure in the air. He knew exactly where the heartless was, and that it was crouching down low to attack. Riku pushed Mickey's shoulder.

"Look out!"

Mickey went prone. The giant heartless swiped the air above him with its claw. Rolling over, Mickey blasted the heartless with a well timed blizzaga spell. It hit the heartless' underbelly. Roaring in pain, the heartless retreated into the void in an attempt to stalk and ambush its prey.

"Where did it go?" Mickey turned in circle, searching.

"Don't panic," Riku said, "just wait for my signal."

"Okay."

There was a vibration under his feet. The scent of the creature's breathe tingled in the air from behind. The power of its raw, animalistic energy shocked the back of Riku's ears as its electrical currents moved through the air.

"Your Majesty, three o' clock!"

Mickey took a sharp right and fired an orb of searing, hot light into the darkness. It hit the heartless right between the eyes. The creature roared, rolling over, clawing at its face. Riku dashed toward it, jumped up on its underbelly, and raised his soul eater.

Calling on the darkness was easy when he was surrounded by it. It gathered around him from the atmosphere, responded from deep in his heart but he wouldn't let the it take control of him. It was his dark strength to channel. He forced the burning energy into his blade and sliced into the heartless.

The creature's limbs flopped onto the ground, its breathe came out in a small gasp. Riku felt the darkness beneath him dissolving. The creature vanished. Defeated.

Then Mickey footsteps came closer.

"That was amazing! How did you do that?"

Riku unbound the black blindfold around his eyes. Even without it, he could see nothing.

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty."

"What for?

"I used the power of darkness."

Riku turned his back on Mickey.

"I-if you don't want to travel with me anymore, I understand, but I promise, I never plan to use the power of darkness selfishly again so," Riku swallowed, "so please don't think of me as your enemy."

The light inside King Mickey burned brightly behind Riku. He felt the soft breeze of it on his shoulders. Riku waited for a scolding, an attack, anything.

"Now, you've experienced both," Mickey said.

"What?"

"In the past, you used the darkness with no fear and you because overconfident because of it, abusing it without thought to others."

Riku cringed.

"By using it recklessly, you let it take you over. But then you tried fighting against it, rejecting it completely, to the point that you let your fear of it control you."

Riku turned around. "And now?"

"I think, everything we do is a choice, even if we don't think we're making it. And it seems to me that you have chosen to balance the darkness with the light that's inside you. There's darkness in every heart, so I think it's only normal for you to accept that side of yourself."

"But what if I make a mistake one day?"

"Then learn from your mistakes. It impossible to never mess up. Know that over-reliance on the darkness corrupts, but don't let fear hold you back. Trust in your light so that you know when it's time to stop abusing the darkness."

"So, you're saying-"

"There's a keyblade in both the realm of light and the realm of darkness. We needed both to close the door and you needed both to feel whole again, right?"

Riku knelt down and reached out to touch King Mickey's face. He felt the mouse's soft cheeks and round nose.

"That tickles!"

"Your Majesty, I'm really flattered! Thank you!"

"You don't have to call me that anymore! We're pals."

"Oh." Riku let him go. "Okay, Mickey."

He stood and tied the black ribbon around his eyes.

"Does it hurt," came Mickey's sorrowful voice.

"No." Riku said. "And I don't regret it. I'll stick with the choices I've made. I won't run away anymore."

"I'm proud of ya."

Riku laughed, and when he did, he felt the light inside of him shine.

* * *

_**Jiminy's Journal**_

Jessica Rabbit (First Appeared in Who Framed Roger Rabbit, 1988): A lovely toon with a mysterious allure to her, but her real beauty lies in her rather compassionate, loyal, and selfless nature. Although she seems distant at first glance, she is hopelessly in love with Roger and will do whatever she can to make sure he is happy. Even though they don't seem alike, Roger is just as supportive and caring as she is. So maybe they're a match made in toon heaven after all.

Judge Claude Frollo (First Appeared in Hunchback of Notre Dame, 1996): Intolerant and prejudiced against anyone he deems unholy and sinful, Frollo ruthlessly punishes without compassion or mercy. He plotted with Doctor Facilier so that he can go back to his own world and pass judgement on the Romani people, who he cruelly refers to as "gypsies." His inflexibility and cruelty allows him to use the darkness to purge those he deems wicked. But even his advanced use of darkness couldn't protect him from Sora, the toons and Valiant's teamwork.

Ansem (First Appeared in Kingdom Hearts, 2002): Once a great old, wise man that led Hollow Bastion, Ansem eventually let his research of the heart and curiosity of the darkness consume him, leading him to destroy many worlds. Sora and his friends eventually defeated him, yet his apparition still appeared in Riku's heart, taunting the boy. Once Riku accepted the darkness in himself, Ansem completely vanished. It is unknown whether the Ansem that appeared before Riku is the true Ansem or a manifestation of Riku's fears.


	23. Chapter 22: Ducksitting

**Author's Note**

This one goes out to hypermegatailsfan (who will most likely never even _read_ this story, but it wouldn't exist if she didn't inspire me in some way) and all the people in my reviews that just _had_ to ask for Ducktales content. How was I supposed to resist that? Hope this doesn't disappoint.

**DISCLAIMER**: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy or any of the Disney/Square Enix characters that appear in this work. Please support the original releases.

* * *

_**Chapter 22: Ducksitting**_

* * *

Kairi parried the blade that swung at her chest. She thrust her own blade at Max. He sidestepped and then aimed a jab at her head. Kairi ducked, and then found herself on the floor a second later, confused, blinking at the ceiling. Max's smug face appeared overhead.

"You have to learn to watch your opponent's whole body, not just their weapon."

As he helped Kairi up, he gave her another criticism.

"And your footwork is terrible. You were so off balance that it was way too easy to trip you."

"Good pep talk," Kairi panted. "When are you going to get to the part where you tell me what I did right?"

Max's sword flashed toward her side.

Kairi jumped back, ready to parry another attack, only to relax when she realized that Max hadn't moved.

"Did you have to take a swing at me so close?"

"Nice reflexes. There's the praise you wanted. Also, I wasn't going to actually hit you."

He turned his sword around so that Kairi could grab the handle.

"Anyway, that's enough sparring for today. Show me the basics of dual wielding."

Kairi's lip curled as she took the blade. "Come on, again?"

Max moonwalked. "You want the moves, you have to practice the basics. Just like-" He groaned. "Like my Dad says, 'You have to stay focused on your goals.' If you want the skill, you have to fix both eyes on it like it's a horseshoe stick."

"Horseshoe stick?"

"It's my Dad's favorite lecture. He always uses a horseshoe metaphor." Max sat down on the training floor. "I wonder where he is now."

"You miss him?"

"Not just that. I wanted to go with him. For once. My dad's so overprotective, I can totally can handle myself out there." He waved his hand. "Shouldn't you be practicing?"

Sighing, Kairi went through the motions Max had taught her, for the billionth time. Training with Max was nothing like training with Mary. There were no cute, fun, field trips or relentless attacks with magic. Nope. Instead, Max had Kairi doing push-ups for days on end. Then he taught her how to punch and avoid getting hit. He made her practice with toy swords against dummies until he was convinced she could hold a sword without poking an eye out.

Even when Max let Kairi use an actual sword, he forced her to do the same swinging motion and drilled her on basics for so long she was sure her arm was going to fall off. And just when she thought she was done with that, Max made her train her other arm in the same way.

Kairi wondered if she had spent months or years practicing with Max. Mary Poppins prepared their training space three times a day. To make sure that the castle garden wouldn't get wrecked again, Mary would take Max and Kairi into a painting of a training room. The first time they had been there, Kairi had thought they had been training for hours. It wasn't until they left the painting when she realized that not a single a minute had gone by on the clock in the castle library. And Mary would not give her a straight answer about whether or not time passed in the painting-training room.

"Well of course a painting is timeless, dear. That is why it is called a painting."

Once Max was convinced Kairi could attack a wooden dummy, he began to spar with her, though she still had not beaten him in a single match (at least, not without magic). Once her skills were "decent," Max started dual wielding training, though he refused to have a sparring match until she mastered the basics.

"Good job," Max pointed to Kairi's swords. "One more time."

"So will these basics let me hack and slash through heartless," Kairi panted.

"You can hack and slash through anything, but mastering the basics will make sure you do it well. It's all about-"

"Focusing on your goals, right. Sora runs around the beach with a toy sword and then gets upgraded to a keyblade one second later, and I'm stuck practicing basics."

"I'd say you're pretty good."

"Really?"

"Yeah, if you're going to fighting a few unarmed enemies."

"That doesn't sound too bad. Heartless don't use weapons, usually."

"But against an experienced opponent, you should just stick to using one sword."

Kairi grinned. "So you _do_ think I can handle myself with one sword?"

Max wiggled his hand. "Barely."

"Was that a compliment?"

"Probably."

Kairi snorted. "So why do _you_ use two swords?"

"Because it's cool."

Kairi stopped. "What? Were you trying to impress someone?"

Max turned around so that he wasn't facing her. "No. Maybe. Kind of."

Kairi stopped practicing.

"Something wrong?"

"Everyone here just thinks of me as 'Goofy's boy.' I wanted to set myself apart somehow. I didn't want anyone to think I didn't work hard just because my dad is captain of the royal guard. I wanted Roxanne to like me for me, but I'm nothing but a goof. Clumsy, awkward. I choke the second I try talking to her. She probably thinks I'm stupid."

Max cleared his throat.

"Plus, I trained so hard because I really wanted to get out here, go on adventures, see other worlds. You know, test my skills."

Kairi bit her lip, forcing down the questions she had about whoever Roxanne was. She remembered Oswald and how he had been too embarrassed to even namedrop Ortensia. It was better not to hurt Max's feelings.

"So, suppose you got to another world," Kairi giggled, "what would you do there?"

Before Max could answer, there was blast that shook the entire painting. A moment later, Mary popped into the training room and magicked Max and Kairi back out into the castle library. Sitting on the floor, Max and Kairi bounced when yet another powerful quake banged along the walls. Despite the swaying, Mary was not knocked over. Books fell out of the library shelves and the desk screeched along the floor before smashing against the fireplace.

"What's going on? Is it an earthquake?"

"Be calm, Kairi," said Mary as she snapped the library back to normal, "I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation for these rather intrusive rattles."

Max raised his ear. "It's coming from the garden."

Picking up his swords, Max dashed out of the library with Kairi on his heels.

Running out into the colonnade outside, they saw black clouds puffing out of the topiary castle down below like a sneezing chimney. By the time they reached the castle, the green, leafy doors were thrown open and two small creatures ran out of the smoke, coughing. Max bent down, picked up two chipmunks, and pulled them away from the smoking corridor.

There were footsteps. Max drew his sword and pointed it at the door of the topiary castle. A duck walked out of the smoke. He took off his spectacles and began rubbing them with his singed lab coat.

"Confound it, I vas so close! Perhaps my calculations ver off."

Max lowered his sword. "Professor Von Drake? What were you doing in the gummi hanger?"

One of the chipmunks jumped up and down in Max's palm.

"Messing with things he should not be!"

The other chipmunk sneezed and then rubbed his, big, red nose. "I think we're going to need more then the castle brooms to clean up that mess."

Kairi leaned in to whisper in Max's ear.

"Who are they?"

Max pointed to the chipmunk with the black nose. "That's Chip." He pointed to the bucktoothed, red nosed chipmunk. "And that's Dale. They're the castle's gummi ship engineers."

"And I am Professor Ludvig Von Drake," said the old duck. "Genius scientist. Although, I find myself quite disappointed. Seems as though tinkering with a gummi ship vas more difficult then I first thought."

"Difficult?" Chip growled. "Try catastrophic! You nearly blew the entire gummi hanger sky high!"

Dale covered his ears. "We're going to need Gadget's help to put things back to how they were."

Professor Ludvig Von Drake clenched his fists. "Oh no. I vill not be outdone by that tiny engineer. My science is more then enough to fix the hanger."

The chipmunks rolled their eyes, jumped off Max's hands, and ran back into the topiary castle, which was still smoking.

"Vait! Engineers. So impatient."

Professor Drake vanished down the set of stairs that led underground.

Kairi leaned into the door of the topiary castle. "All this time there was a room down there?"

"Not a room. That's the gummi ship hanger," Max explained.

"Hold on. The gummi ship is down there?"

"Usually it would be, but we haven't seen it since Dad and Donald took it for their mission."

There was a surprised cry. Turning, Kairi spotted Minnie, Daisy and Mary walking toward the castle. Another old duck walked along with them.

Daisy covered her beak. "What happened?"

Mary walked toward the castle, opening her umbrella. A warm breeze of flower petals blew away the smoke obscuring the garden. Once the sky was clear, the old duck walked toward the castle, shaking his head.

"I see Professor Ludvig is as eager as ever. I'm sorry, Majesty Minnie, I had asked him to wait until after I had spoken to you."

"The professor? Oh, that explains much. He's always tinkering with things."

The old duck adjusted the glasses on his bill, squinting at Kairi. "Aye, is this the young lady?"

"Yes, this is our guest, Kairi."

The duck took off his blue top-hat and bowed. "Pleased to meet you, lass."

Daisy cleared her throat. "It seems introductions are in order. Kairi, this is Scrooge McDuck. He is Donald's uncle."

"And the richest duck in the world." Scrooge winked.

Just then, three little ducklings raced out into the garden. Kairi saw a red, blue and green blur as the ducklings ran toward the topiary castle, chatting excitedly, their white feathers ruffling. The sight of them gave Kairi a nostalgic feeling about a jazzy, small town with brick buildings, hidden districts and gizmo shops. Then she realized she had seen those ducklings before, through Sora, back in Traverse Town.

"Wow! What do you think Professor Drake has invented now? Just imagine the engineering wonder," said the duckling in the red T-shit and baseball cap.

"I bet it's some kind of super cool freeze ray," said the duckling wearing an identical shirt and cap, except his were blue.

"Whatever it is, I bet it's going to make Uncle Scrooge even richer. Let's go," waved the duckling in green.

Scrooge McDuck slammed his cane on the ground. "Huey, Dewey, Louie!"

The ducklings flinched. "Yes, Uncle Scrooge?"

"You will not interrupt Professor Drake's work! Come back here."

Hanging their heads, the ducklings lined up behind Scrooge.

Mary reached into her carpet bag and produced one large, crystal, tea table and several matching chairs. Once everyone was seated, Mary treated the ducklings to cake in order keep them distracted. Max went down to the gummi hanger to check on Chip, Dale and Professor Ludvig. Meanwhile, Minnie and Daisy had their meeting with Scrooge.

"Since learning about other worlds, I have been obsessed! I wish to explore, but alas, learning that the worlds are sealed off from each other by impassible walls has halted my plans," Scrooge explained. "So I have hired Professor Ludvig to build me a new ship, one that can travel through the walls of any world."

Kairi leaned forward. "You're going to travel to other worlds?"

Scrooge tapped his fingertips together. "Aye lass, there's business to be done, whole new ventures to set up, and a lot of money to be made in the doing so!"

"Could you take me with you when the ship is complete? I have to find my friends."

"We'd have to finish the ship first. Which is why I wanted this meeting, Majesty. Naturally I can't use the gummi hanger without your permission."

"You have my permission, provided that you use the ship to help search for Mickey, Donald and Goofy as well."

"Of course, Majesty."

"Then it's settled. Thank you, Mr. McDuck."

"Anything for you, Majesty." Scrooge rubbed his temple. "Though, it seems that after today's fiasco, building the ship may take longer then I had hoped. And keeping those three," he pointed to the ducklings with his cane, "out of trouble for one day might take up more of my time then helping Professor Ludvig with the ship."

Kairi stood. "Let me help! I can hang out with the triplets for the day. If I watch them, will you let me come along to other worlds?"

"Doing a favor for a bonnie lass like you? How can I say no?" Scrooge turned away. "Especially after the money you'd be saving me by not having to hire a babysitter."

"What was that?"

"Nothing dear. Boys!"

The triplets glared over their half-eaten dessert.

"That's not fair Uncle Scrooge," Huey slammed his fist on the table.

"Yeah," said his brothers.

"We've already been to another world," Louie stated, "so we should be allowed to go with you."

"I can't have you running around, interfering with Professor Ludvig's work."

"But we can help," Dewey whined.

"None of that. I'm asking you to be on your best behavior today and to show Ms. Kairi here around Duckburg."

Kairi blinked. "Duckburg?"

"It's Donald's and my hometown," Daisy explained. "There's more to this world then just the castle, dear. If fact, we have another town right outside the castle gates."

Max returned from the gummi hanger. "I think Chip and Dale have finally reached an agreement with Professor Von Drake. What's this about Duckburg?"

"I'm going to be spending the day there with Huey, Dewey and Louie."

Scrooge tapped Kairi's shoulder. "Just to be clear, are you sure about this lass? Life can be like a hurricane in Duckburg."

"Yeah, we have race cars," said Huey.

"Lazers," said Dewey.

"Airplanes," said Louie.

"Yeah, I get it," Max huffed. "It's a real duck-blur. Kairi, you're not seriously thinking of doing this are you?"

"It could be fun. I might solve a mystery, or rewrite history."

"You do realize you're talking about babysitting, right?"

"Oh come on. If we watch Scrooge's nephews, then Professor Von Drake can have the freedom to work on the gummi ship and we might be able to travel to other worlds."

"I'm sorry. Did you say just 'we' will be watching the triplets?"

Kairi batted her eyelashes. "Come on, please?"

Max eyed the triplets suspiciously. "You clearly don't know what you're getting yourself into."

"If you help me, I'll give you dating tips."

Max twitched. "What?"

"Admit it, you want to impress some girl, and who better to give you advice," Kairi pointed to herself, "then an actual girl? I can even put in a good word for you."

Max stared at Kairi with his mouth hanging open. His cheeks flushed. Queen Minnie and Daisy looked away as though they didn't see what was happening. Their cheeks were puffed up, barely hiding the giggles that were just begging to escape from their mouths. A faint grin appeared on the corners of Mary's lips before she cleared her throat.

"It's settled then. Please escort the boys to the castle gates."

* * *

Huey, Dewey and Louie led the way through the courtyard in front of the castle. They walked on the long, white, marble road while staring at the perfectly trimmed lawn grass and flowerbeds. Kairi looked over her shoulder at the lopsided Disney Castle looming behind them. Next to her, Max marched silently, determined to do his best not to enjoy their babysitting errand.

Up ahead, sitting right in the middle of the wide road was a red seaplane. One look at it and all the color drained from Max's face.

"Oh no. There is no way I'm riding the Sunchaser."

Before he could hightail it back to the castle, Kairi grabbed his arm and dragged him toward the plane.

"Don't be such a wet blanket."

The pilot of the plane hopped out. He was a tall, muscular duck in a red and beige aviator uniform. A tuft of ginger hair stuck out from under his brown helmet and goggles. He waved to Huey, Dewey and Louie.

"Hey boys, heading back to Duckburg already."

"Hey Launchpad," the triplets said sadly. "Uncle Scrooge wants us to stay out of trouble."

"Well, hop on. I'll get us back to McDuck manner in a jiffy."

Kairi hauled Max toward the plane.

"Room for two more?"

Launchpad nodded, putting his hands on his hips proudly. "Of course! Anyone is welcome aboard my plane."

Kairi pushed Max in. He immediately sat down and looped his seat belt around twice before he clicked it into place. He sat still, gritting his teeth, even though the plan hadn't taken off yet. Kairi sat down next to him and looked out the window to watch the propellers spin.

At the pilot seat, Launchpad was pressing buttons. "All right passengers? Here we go."

The engine roared, and Launchpad took off.

Kairi slammed back into her seat. The plane flashed forward, sprinting down the road, straight toward Disney Castle. Kairi and Max screamed, watching the castle getting closer and closer, feeling like flies that were about to smash into a windshield.

The plane dipped upwards, but the castle was still in sight. They barely scrapped by the tallest tower. Breathing out a sigh of relief, Kairi looked out the window and watched the castle disappear from view. They sliced through the clouds. Patches of vibrant, emerald-green hills and the occasional, colorful village appeared below. Either Duckburg was closer then Kairi had thought or Launchpad's plane was able to travel faster then a gummi ship, because, just a few moments later, Kairi had to clutch her seat belt for dear life as the plane began to descend.

The jerky landing made her bounce and she wondered if her head would have smashed against the roof if her seat belt wasn't holding her down.

Finally-thank goodness-the plane stopped.

The triplets whooped. "WOW! We didn't crash this time!"

Kairi swallowed. "This time?"

Launchpad turned around and winked from the pilot's seat. "Here you are lady and gents. McDuck manor. Thank you for flying Launchpad express."

The second the plane doors opened, the triplets raced out. Kairi's legs shook as stepped down from the plane. Max wobbled out behind her, fell on his hands and knees and pressed his forehead to the concrete.

"Solid ground!"

Looking around at McDuck manor, Kairi blinked at the giant, golden money sign that sat on top of one of the red roofs. Somehow, Launched had landed right in the middle of the driveway, between the manor and the fountain. Though not as grandiose as Disney Castle, the manor was a little less lopsided, Kairi still found herself gaping at the mansion.

Huey, Dewey and Louie ran through front door, which was opened for them just in time by a dog in a butler suit. The ducklings completely ignored the old dog as they ran up the stairs behind the foyer.

"Ah, you must be the boys' current babysitters," said the dog when Kairi and Max awkwardly walked in.

"Hello, Duckworth," Max said sadly.

"Master Max," the dog bowed. Then he reached, took Max's swords and hung them on the wall next to the door. Turning to Kairi, he said, "Do you have any weapons, miss?"

Kairi shook her head.

"A pity."

"Huh? Why?"

The butler upturned his nose, his eyes looking down at Kairi. "No reason in particular. The boys' room is upstairs, in the attic."

Kairi followed Max up the stairs to the second floor. When she was sure they safe, she leaned toward Max and whispered.

"Is the butler's name actually Duckworth?"

"Yep."

"He's not secretly hiding webbed feet, is he?"

Max chuckled. "No."

He took a big step over a loose floorboard.

"You seem to know your way around this place."

"I've been here a few times with my dad, whenever Scrooge needed extra security at his manor, though really I was invited along to keep Huey, Dewey and Louie out of trouble."

By this time, they had reached the attic. Taking in a deep breathe, Max opened he door. They were greeted with a rather messy and empty room. An escape rope made out of bed sheets was hanging out of the window.

* * *

It was all hands on deck looking for the Huey, Dewey and Louie. Yet even with Duckworth and Launchpad searching every nook and cranny of McDuck manor, and the surrounding area, the triplets were nowhere to be found.

"Nice going, Kairi. You volunteer to look after Scrooge's nephews and what is the first thing you do? Lose 'em." Kairi stopped pacing in the foyer, turning to Max. "You don't think they're already back at the castle do you?"

"Maybe they went to Mr. McDuck's money bin." Launchpad pointed his thumb at his chest. "I can take you there."

It turned out that Scrooge's money bin was a giant tower full of two things: money, and security devices. Even though she was frantic to find the boys, Kairi's jaw dropped when she entered a cavernous room that was much like a water tower. Except, instead of water, there was nothing but a lake of gold and jewels down below. She stood on a walkway that hovered several stories above piles of gold coins. It looked like there was enough to swim in. There was even a diving board at the end of the precarious walkway. Scrooge McDuck hadn't been kidding when he said he was the richest duck in the world. Kairi wondered what he would do if he saw the Cave of Wonders.

After searching the entire bin with Max, and finding nothing, Launchpad called them back to his plane.

"Incoming call from Duckworth," he said, holding up the seaplane's phone.

Kairi pressed the receiver to her ear. "Did you find the Huey, Dewey and Louie?"

"Hello Ms. Kairi, and no, I did not, but given the boys' penchant for getting into trouble, I thought this might interest you. Professor Von Drake has a lab in Duckburg, and security devises detected a break in at one of the secret labs."

"You think it's the boys?"

"Well, they were very upset at the notion of not being able to help Mr. McDuck and Professor Von Drake, so it only seems logical that they may be there."

Thanking Duckworth, Kairi put down the phone.

"Launchpad, do you know where Professor Von Drake's lab is?"

"You bet I do. Strap in."

Max cringed, but sat down in the seat next to Launchpad. After yet another bumpy ride, the plane slammed down in a parking lot next to a tall, white, square building with silver windows. Kairi barged through the main entrance, charging toward the receptionist's counter. The dog receptionist snapped her head up in surprise when Kairi leaned forward and stared at her with wide, twitchy eyes.

"Did you see three ducklings in red, blue and green baseball caps?"

"Mr. McDuck's nephews? Yeah, they asked if they can study in Professor Von Drake's library like half an hour ago."

"Great! Where is it?"

The receptionist brushed her smooth, red hair off her forehead. "Down the hall, to the right." She looked over Kairi's shoulder, and a heavy blush appeared across her cheeks and over her brown nose. She waved timidly.

"Hi Max."

Kairi turned around and noticed that Max was completely frozen, standing in the middle of the room as though his feet were stuck there.

"H-hi, Roxanne. What are you doing here?"

"Mr. McDuck needed help keeping an eye on things while he and Professor Von Drake are out of town, so I volunteered. How are you?"

"Fine. I'm good. I'm great. Babysitting the triplets for Mr. McDuck. You know, trying to help out."

Roxanne's neck disappeared as she raised her shoulders. She tucked her hair behind her ear. "That's really nice of you. I bet Huey, Dewey and Louie like having a knight as a babysitter."

"Yeah, nice, right, knight, babysitting."

Roxanne giggled.

Max chuckled.

The laughter went on until Max let out a sound that sounded a lot like "ah-yuck." He quickly covered his mouth with both hands, his eyes wide. The spell was broken. Roxanne was staring at Max with a confused look. As if to say, "help me," Max looked at Kairi.

Roxanne turned her head and cleared her throat. "Oh, sorry, I totally forgot about you. Did you need any other help?"

Kairi, who by this time was leaning forward with her elbows on the counter and her chin in her palms, grinned. "Oh no, I'm good. So," she grinned, "you're Roxanne."

"Um, yes."

"You know, Max talks about you a lot."

"He does." She shook her head. "I'm sorry, I didn't even ask your name."

"Kairi. Max is my sword instructor. He's a really good teacher."

Roxanne lifted an eyebrow. "Really?"

Max slapped his palm to his forehead.

"Yeah. His sword skills are amazing. You should come by the castle some time and-"

Max grabbed Kairi's shoulders and pushed her away from the receptionist counter. "Okay, it was really nice seeing you Roxanne. And Kairi," he spoke through clenched teeth, "we have ducks we should be babysitting, remember?"

While Max pushed her toward the library, Kairi looked over her shoulder. Roxanne leaned forward on the counter and sighed sadly. Once they were out of earshot, Kairi pulled away from Max and huffed.

"Why'd you do that? Things were going so well! I was about to tell her to come have lunch with you."

Max looked down at the floor. "This was a bad idea. I blew it. I got her laughing and then what did I do? I choked."

"I don't think so. I think she was having fun. We should go back there and-"

Once again they were interrupted. The building shook. Dust fluttered down from the ceiling. Kairi was sure she heard the distant wailing of Huey, Dewey and Louie. Max broke off at a run down the hall.

He threw open the library door. Kairi ran in right behind him, already gathering magic in case of attack, but the library was empty. One of the bookshelves had been pulled forward from the wall, revealing a secret passageway behind it. A set of stairs led down to a dark basement below. Max and Kairi went down the steps.

A steel door, with the words "For Authorized Personnel Only" waited for Kairi and Max at the bottom of the stairs. They turned the bolted wheel on the door and entered into a massive underground lab. Turned over tables full of broken chemistry beakers, test tubes, thermometers, and burners littered one corner of the room. Wires were tangled all over the floor, and there were electrical panels hanging from the walls like snapped tree branches.

Electricity sparked the ceiling from the broken light bulbs. Kairi spotted Huey, Dewey and Louie cowering on the scaffolding up above. They pointed.

"Look out!"

Something stomped toward Max and Kairi from the corner of the room. Light flashed from the broken electrical wires, giving Kairi a brief glimpse of a giant fist. It reached out and grabbed her. She was lifted up into the air and held up in front of the huge, bulbous chin of a rather fat, angry looking, black cat.

A growl, and fish breathe, blew Kairi's red bangs away from her face. She covered her mouth to keep from the contents of her stomach on the inside, and got a good look at the pair of fangs that stuck out from under the cat's bottom lip. The cat narrowed its bloodshot eyes at her and then shook its head violently as water balloons from above smacked his face and neck.

"Up here, you big, ugly, Franken-kitty!" Dewey screamed as he tossed the balloons.

Huey and Louie blew raspberries.

Down below, Max sliced the creature's ankles.

Roaring, the creature loosened his fingers and Kairi dropped to the floor. She had to jump out of the way to avoid getting squashed when the cat's behind flopped down onto the ground.

"What are you doing?" Max snapped at the ducklings. "You can't beat that thing with balloons! Run!"

The cat was angry now. He got back up onto his feet and began a set of furious punches at Max and Kairi. Ducking under the attacks, Kairi ran between the creature's legs. Once she was behind it, she shouted.

"Thundara!"

Lightning shot the creature right between its massive shoulder blades. From above, Dewey and Louie cheered.

"She can do magic!"

"It's just like Uncle Donald!"

"Do it again!"

Their excitement drew the fat cat's attention. He turned around and reached up toward the scaffolding.

"Oh no you don't!"

Max sliced at the cat's calf and the cat's knee bent, shaking the entire lab and the scaffolding above. Huey, Dewey and Louie slipped off the metal sheet they had been standing on. Their webbed feet dangled in the air. From its seated position on the floor, the cat swatted at them.

Kairi jumped onto the cat's peg leg and climbed up his rags till she was on his shoulder. Snarling, the cat slammed his beefy hand on her. Protecting herself with a reflect spell, Kairi watched the creature's sausage fingers wrap around the magic glass. She was thrown like a baseball up toward the scaffolding.

Seconds away from smashing into Huey, Dewey and Louie, Kairi dropped her shield, and managed to grab Louie's feet. Now the four them were dangling from the scaffolding.

Max called from below. "Hey, you big, ugly brute! Down here!"

He poked the cat's behind with his swords. The cat roared, turned around on its hands and knees and began crawling after Max.

Kairi watched, horrified as the cat slammed its massive paw on the ground, making Max trip. While he was down, the cat swiped at him and Max went flying.

"Oh no! Huey, let go the scaffolding."

"Are you crazy?"

"Trust me! I can do magic, remember? Just don't let go of each other."

"No, don't do it!" Louie begged.

"Do it, do it, do it!" Dewey sang.

Huey closed his eyes and let go. They fell, and Kairi pulled the triplets close. They bounced on the floor in a reflect spell and then rolled toward the door.

Releasing the spell, Kairi wasted no time on being dizzy. Even as the ground rose up and down beneath her feet, she pushed the ducklings toward the stairs.

"Get out of here! Go to Launchpad."

"But-"

Kairi pinned each of them with a glower, pointing toward the exit. "Don't you argue with me! March!"

"Yes ma'am."

The boys scrambled up the stairs. Once she was sure they were not coming back, Kairi turned back toward the cat. Max was caught in the cat's fist and he was being squeezed like a stress toy.

Kairi grabbed the electrical wires off the floor and wound them around the creature's legs. Max's swords glinted be the cat's them up, Kairi poked the cat's thick thighs.

Roaring, he stumbled backward, tripping over the wires. Max flew out of the creature's hands and landed in a heap on the broken chemistry glass. Running to him, Kairi covered her mouth when she saw the all dents and scratches in his armor. Max groaned, his eyes squeezed shut, purple bruises glowing on his face.

The creature wriggled behind them, shaking the lab whenever he thrashed. Tangled up in wires, his growls only grew more ferocious as he tried to free himself.

Kairi put Max's arm over her shoulders, pulling him up.

"Just go." Max coughed. "I'll slow you down."

"No way!"

Huffing and puffing with the effort, Kairi dragged Max out of the room and toward the stairs. Behind them, the creature had turned over on its stomach and was inch worming after them. Sweat dripped off of Kairi's cheeks. The ground behind her shook as the cat's jaw slammed down inches away from Max's legs.

The creature roared and the blast of air from its breath pushed Kairi off her feet. Desperate, she cast a reflect spell. She rolled in the magic ball with Max, right through the door. The spell broke and Kairi jumped, bolting the door shut just as the cat slammed into it from the other side.

Safe, Kairi hoisted Max up the stairs.

"Why'd you have to take that big brute on by yourself?"

"What was I supposed to do?" Max heaved. "Let that thing get you and the triplets?"

"This is all my fault! You were right! I didn't know what I was getting into."

"I was talking more about taking care of a punch of hyperactive kids. Neither of us expected to take on a giant, Frankenstein cat."

"But you took such a beating! I'm so sorry."

"Don't be. That was an awesome challenge."

"Don't try to make me feel better. If only I could just cure you or something!"

Max glowed a light, green color, the scratches on his skin fading. Blinking, he put weight on one of his legs and leaned away from Kairi.

"Wow. What did you just do? I feel better."

The minty glow faded from Max's black fur.

"I don't know. I just really really wanted you to be okay, and I-" Kairi stared down at her hands. "Max, can I try something?"

He nodded.

"Okay."

Kairi closed her eyes, thinking back to her training sessions with Minnie and Daisy.

Minnie's voice echoed in her head. "The key to light magic is to give your hopes, faith, and trust a form. If you can focus on those feelings, channel them into magic, then you can command the light inside you. What makes light magic hard to master is that there are no spells. You trust in the light inside you and let it do the rest. Healing magic is the easiest. It's just one type of light given form."

Hope.

Helping others.

Trust.

Protection.

Kairi concentrated.

Max had watched her back, had agreed to help her with the ducklings even though he really hadn't wanted to. Reaching out, she placed her hand on his chest.

"Cure."

Green leaves sprinkled over Max's head. Max stretched his bad leg and straightened.

Breathing in deep, Kairi casted the spell one more time, and Max was able to hop from one foot to the other, completely back to normal.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it. If it weren't for you, I don't know what would have happened with that mad scientist's experiment back there."

* * *

To Kairi and Max's surprise, Ludvig Von Drake, Scrooge McDuck, Roxanne and the triplets were waiting for them up in the library.

Roxanne covered her mouth at the site of Max's banged up armor. She ran to him and began inspecting him for injuries.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm, I'm, uh, f-fine."

"Are you sure? You're armor looks like you just went through a food processor."

"I'm okay, really. You should see the other guy."

Roxanne gave him a cute smile.

Max's face blazed. Awkwardly, he stepped away from her and faced Professor Von Drake and Scrooge.

"What are all of you doing here?"

Scrooge glared at the triplets, who covered their faces in response.

"Once these three came running out of the secret lab, this smart lass," he gestured to Roxanne, "had the sense to call us for help. What happened down there?"

"We fought some sort of giant, cat, monster, experiment, thing."

Professor Von Drake's eyes widened. "Vat have you done? You voke Julius? I'm still in the middle of teaching him! He's not ready to meet regular people. You three, vat do you have to say for yourselves!"

The triplets hung their heads. "We're sorry, Professor."

"Vy vere you in my secret lab? There are things in there that are highly dangerous! Now I'll have to coax Julius out of the sewers again! Do you know how long it took for him to trust me? Move out of my vay!"

Professor Von Drake disappeared down the staircase toward the underground lab. Now it was Scrooge's turn to scold the triplets.

"Curse me kilts. I can't turn my back on you three for a second. It's a good thing Max and Kairi were there, otherwise who knows what might have happened."

Huey, Dewey and Louie, their eyes shining, apologized. "Thanks for saving us. That was some magic. And Max, we promise not to run away again."

Max poked each boy on the forehead. "I'm just glad you guys weren't hurt. I really need to apologize to my dad one of these days. Keeping kids out of trouble is not easy."

Scrooge hugged each of the boys, but then stood with his hands behind his back. "You three are grounded for three days. That will give me and Ludvig some time to fix this mess. No fun, no games, just studying in your rooms and helping Duckworth around the house."

The boys' looked defeated.

"And, if you prove you can behave for three days straight, I'll let you help me and the professor on the gummi ship."

The boys brightened.

"But no funny business. Understand? You will do what you're told and stay out of danger."

Huey folded his hands in front of his bill. "Really, Uncle Scrooge?"

Dewey held his breathe. "You mean it?"

Louie crossed his fingers.

"Yes. Now go wait with Launchpad by the plane."

When the triplets left, Scrooge turned to Max and Kairi.

"Thank you for keeping my nephews safe. Now if you'll excuse me."

He went down the stairs to the lab, leaving Kairi, Max and Roxanne all alone. The two dogs looked at each other and then turned their faces away. Max scratched the back of his head, while Roxanne began rubbing her arms. Huffing, Kairi grabbed Max's arm and pulled him to a corner of the room.

"Why are just standing around? Go talk to her."

"What if I end up letting out another 'ah-yuck?' She'll think I'm nothing but a goof."

Kairi put her hands on her hips. "What's wrong with being a goof? I didn't get to spend that much time with your dad but I did see him through my friend's eyes. Your dad is loyal, brave and kind, just like you. Any girl would be crazy not to like a person like that. I should know, because Sora is exactly like-"

Kairi pressed her lips together. Taking a deep breathe, she positioned Max so that he faced Roxanne. "Look. Just be yourself. If she really likes you, she'll accept you for who you are."

Max swallowed. Turning he walked over and tapped Roxanne on the shoulder.

"Hey, um, thanks for calling Scrooge and Professor Von Drake here."

Roxane twirled a tuft of hair around her finger. "It was nothing really. I knew something was wrong when the building started shaking."

"No, it wasn't nothing. You're s-so smart and you really care about other people. I mean I see you in town sometimes and you're always helping someone out."

Roxanne bit her lip, even though her cheeks were raised in a smile. "And you're really brave. I've seen you patrolling and breaking up fights sometimes."

Max was so red, it was a wonder he didn't blast off like a rocket ship. He turned to look at Kairi and she gave him a double thumbs up and mouthed, "keep going."

"S-so, would you ever want to, I mean, um."

Roxanne leaned toward him. "Yes?"

"Would you want to come to the castle for tea sometime?"

"I'd love to."

"I mean if you say you no, I'll completely understand and-" Max blinked. "Wait? Seriously?"

Roxanne giggled. "Of course."

"Excuse me for a second."

Max ran out of the room, flashing by Kairi so fast that her hair puffed up.

Outside the door, Max screamed. "Ayuck! Yes! She said yes!"

Kairi winked at Roxanne. "Nicely done."

* * *

Three days later, Max and Kairi entered McDuck manor and caught the boys in the kitchen, stacking a triple-decker bologna sandwich.

Kairi tangled her fingers in her hair. "What a mess!"

Broken eggs covered the floor in yellow and clear slime, ketchup and mustard stained the cabinets, the refrigerator's contents had had a rockslide, and the garbage was turned over, spilling its stinky guts all over the tiles.

Max's nearly slipped on a dirty frying pan. "Why do you need pots and pans to make a sandwich?"

Kairi carefully moved around to the table, where the triplets munched on the messiest looking sandwiches Kairi had ever seen. And here she thought she was a bad cook. She snatched their meal out of their hands.

"No one's taking another bite until this place is clean."

"The lady's correct, Master Huey, Dewey and Louie."

Kairi jumped when Duckworth magically appeared next to her elbow. If she didn't know any better, she would say the butler was a ghost. Duckworth picked up the boys by the backs of their shirts and held them in midair. He placed Huey in front of the sink, Dewey by the trash and Louie by the refrigerator.

"If the young masters want to help Mr. McDuck, they will scrub this place spotless."

The ducklings mumbled under their breathe but did their chores nonetheless. Duckworth shoved a mop and broom into Kairi and Max's hands.

"What?" Max protested. "I didn't make this mess."

"Save the excuses Master Max."

Now it was Max's turn to grumble as he swept up the broken dishes. Once the food, garbage and broken plates were cleaned from the floor, Kairi washed away the filth from the cabinets with a water spell. Then she began mopping.

"Wow," said the Dewey and Louie from their spot on the counter. "I miss Uncle Donald."

Huey stopped soaping the dishes for just a moment to stare. Feeling a little excited, and wanting to show off, Kairi waited until the magical water vanished before she blasted Huey's soapy dishes with another spell.

"Cool! Thanks." Huey jumped off his high chair. Too bad Duckworth put him back up there in the next second.

"And just who's going to dry and put those dishes away?"

The hard work tired out the triplets. Once the kitchen was clean, they actually sat on the floor of the foyer without moving. In fact, they stared at Kairi with wide eyes for so long that Max leaned toward her and whispered.

"What did you do them? I've never seen them sit still for this long."

"I didn't do anything."

"What kind of spells can you do?" Louie asked.

"All kinds. I just learned healing magic."

Huey tapped his bill thoughtfully. "I wonder if we'll run into Uncle Donald once Uncle Scrooge and the professor finish building the gummi ship."

"I sure hope Uncle Donald is okay."

There was a knock on the door and Duckworth emerged out of nowhere to answer it. A moment later, Professor Von Drake walked in. Chip, Dale, and a tiny, white mouse with blond hair, sat on the professor's shoulders.

"Hello, Duckworth. Ver the boys behaving like they should be?"

"Quite well sir. I should say I'm thoroughly surprised."

Chip, Dale and the mouse jumped off the professor's shoulders and lined up in front of the ducklings.

"It looks as though you three are cleared to help out," said Chip.

"And perfect timing too. Our friend here already has a task for you," said Dale, gesturing to the cute, white mouse in the violet jumpsuit.

The mouse waved. "Hi, I'm Gadget. And from now until the ship is completed, you three are going to do exactly as I say. Let's go make a spaceship."

* * *

**_Jiminy's Journal_**

Professor Ludvig Von Drake (First Appeared in An Adventure in Color, 1961): An expert in all things science, Professor Von Drake tends to be a little over eager and easily distracted whenever he's on a task. Still, he is a genius and possibly the best person to make a new gummi ship for Scrooge's money making schemes. Let's just hope the gummi ship he makes can only breaks through the walls keeping worlds apart and not through anything else.

Chip and Dale (First Appeared in Private Pluto, 1943): The castle's gummi ship engineers. Chip is the more clever of the two, though he can also have a bit of a temper at times. Dale, on the other hand, tends to be more lazy and laid back, balancing out his brother. Both chipmunks can be a little hyperactive, but one thing is for sure: no one messes with their gummi ship hanger.

Scrooge McDuck (First Appeared in The Spirit of '43): Smarter then the smarties and tougher then the toughies, he is the richest duck in the world. Scrooge McDuck may be elderly, but he's a quick witted, clever businessman that can smell profit a mile away. Despite his savvy money making skills, he's also rather cheap. Even though he's often caught scolding the boys for their mischief, he loves his triplet nephews dearly, and is willing to let them join him on adventures, provided they behave.

Huey, Dewey and Louie (First Appeared in Donald's Nephews, 1938): Rambunctious triplets that have a knack for getting into trouble. Huey, the triplet in red, is the oldest and tends to be the most responsible of his brothers. Dewey wears blue and is possibly the most adventurous and daring out of the three. And finally, Louie, in green, is the sneakiest out of the trio. They're eager to prove themselves to their uncle, Scrooge, and probably go out into the worlds to look for Donald, though they won't admit it.

Launchpad McQuack (First Appeared in The Treasure of the Golden Suns, 1987): Launchpad is a pilot. It's his job to fly Scrooge and the triplets around in his red seaplane, the Sunchaser, whenever the family goes on adventures or needs a quick lift to Disney Castle. Though Launchpad is friendly and loyal to Scrooge and the boys, his flying skills need some serious work, as he is more likely to crash his plane rather then landing it.

Duckworth (First Appeared in DuckTales, 1987): The butler that makes sure Scrooge's manor is up to snuff. He has the uncanny ability to appear when you least expect him. He's dry wit and low tolerance for nonsense helps to keep the triplets in line.

Roxanne (First Appeared in A Goofy Movie, 1992): A caring and friendly young lady that's always willing to lend a helping hand to the people in Duckburg and Disneytown. She's a little on the shy side, but she's not afraid to take a chance if the opportunity presents itself. Her crush on Max is obvious to everyone but him. Thankfully Kairi was there to give the two of them a little push.

Julius (First Appeared in Runaway Brain, 1995): A large monster created by an unknown mad scientist. Julius is a big brute that doesn't understand anything other then stomping around in an angry tirade. Professor Von Drake seems to have befriended him and believes he can teach Julius how to be around regular people, but that doesn't seem like it's going to happen any time soon.


	24. Chapter 23: The RLS Legacy

**DISCLAIMER**: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy or any of the Disney/Square Enix characters that appear in this work. Please support the original releases.

Author's Notes:

Holy space cows! I was not expecting to get such amazing reviews! Thank you Aztec 13 and Stuff3! On a side note, these last chapters have been a real pain in the patella, because MAN this movie is hard to do justice while still keeping it fresh. And I though Roger Rabbit was bad (I was so wrong). Here's hoping I represent this cult classic well.

* * *

**_Chapter 23: The RLS Legacy_**

* * *

Sora stood in front of the Castle Oblivion door. All the excitement of fixing up Toontown, faded away as he pondered what to do next. The dusty alley surrounding them made him feel itchy and his nose wrinkled from the smell of trash. Yet it was the perfection of the castle's pristine, white door that annoyed him. Beyond that door was nothing but an empty, hollow space and nothing more. It was like a carnivorous plant, luring people in with its mysteries and beautiful, white interior. Worse yet, it seemed as though there were parasites in the castle that were just waiting for him to open the door and let them in.

"What Frollo said reminded me of Hades, Jafar, and Cruella," Sora began. "For each bad guy, Dr. Faciler made some kind of promise to them. Cruella and Jafar wanted revenge, Frollo, and I think Hades too, wanted to go home with extra power."

Jiminy, flipping pages in his journal, paced back and forth on Sora's shoulder.

"But, except for Hades, things didn't pan out."

"Right. Hades said that Dr. Facilier 'really can control it.' Is the 'it' he was talking about the Castle's dimensional door?"

"Do you think that was the wish he made back in Agrabah," Goofy offered. "We never did find out what his second wish was."

Jiminy pointed to a list of notes in his journal. "What about the wall in the castle? It's getting weaker and weaker. What if it's open when we get back?"

Sora twirled his keyblade. "Then we take out Doctor Facilier, find Locke and escape the castle before we end up opening the door to darkness."

"I'm glad to hear that you haven't forgotten your responsibilities, but I don't think it will be that simple."

"Why not?"

"Well, being hostile has gotten us nothing but being tossed around. Maybe we should change our strategy. Besides, as long as Doctor Facilier is holding Locke hostage, we can't make any demands."

Goofy's head slumped forward. "What if he hurts Locke? What kind of heroes would we be if we allowed that to happen."

Sora opened his mouth to say something but then closed it. Somehow, saying his fears out loud made him feel as though they were more likely to come true, so he tried not to think about the possibility that Locke might have been turned into a heartless.

"Doggone witch doctor! Whacking him and getting it over with would be much easier." Donald grumbled. "So what do you think we should do, Jiminy."

"Why don't we try being diplomatic?"

Sora put his hands on his hips. "I get it. We act like we want to hear Doctor Facilier out. Maybe he will be more willing to monologue about his evil schemes."

Goofy perked up, jumping in place. "Maybe he'll slip up and give us a clue about Locke."

Jiminy tucked away his journal. "I sure hope so."

Donald tapped his foot impatiently. "Do you really think he'll fall for that? He seems pretty tricky to me."

Sora shrugged. "What have we got to lose? Plus if things go bad, we can always go back to plan A."

"Which is?"

"Beating the snot out of him, of course."

Goofy stood tall. "Well fellers, are we ready for this?"

Donald stretched. "Yup."

"Remember, we're going to get answers. Don't attack until we find out where Locke is."

Moving through the dimensions felt shorter then ever that time. When the trio landed back in the castle's foyer, the first thing they noticed was the castle wall. The door that led out of Castle Oblivion had returned. The wall was now completely see through, and beyond the cold glass, was a city.

Grey clouds covered the sky outside. Tall, lonely skyscrapers and streets lit by glowing, silver lamps waited just beyond the castle door. Sora aimed his keyblade at the entrance, but the door did not open. Silver words appeared in the air.

"_Passage given only when all seven locks are sealed_."

The letters vanished. Sora's felt goosebumps rising on his skin. The sound of his comrades echoing footsteps behind him made him turn.

Silently, the trio nodded.

Ready.

"Hey, Doctor Facilier, I know you're in here somewhere. Come on out."

A shadow moved along the castle ceiling. It stretched, hanging down like a spider on a web. When the shadow touched the floor, like black clay, it sculpted itself into Doctor Facilier's shape.

The shadow man tap danced in the foyer, clapping.

"I see you got rid of that overzealous old fool. Good riddance."

Goofy's lip curled. "But, wasn't Judge Frollo your ally? Aren't you angry that he's gone?"

"Not at all. That man hated anything that didn't fit his view of what an upstanding citizen should look like. Intolerance like that is the perfect invitation for darkness."

"That's true." Sora stated. "So what about you? What lets you call the darkness?"

"Oh no, young man, you've got me all wrong. I don't use the darkness. I got friends on the other side that lend me their strength."

"Do you mean the heartless? I don't think it's a good idea for you to trust them. They will turn on you the second you get too comfortable. Believe me, I've seen it happen."

Dr. Facilier leaned forward on his cane, his white teeth gleaming. "Are you worried about me, little man?"

"I'm just saying that it's not too late to turn around. I don't know why your here or what you want, but, if you tell us, maybe we can help you. You won't have to rely on your 'friends' on the other side. It's never too late to walk in the light."

Dr. Facilier walked backwards toward the castle door and tapped it with his cane. "Now did you really think I would fall for that song and dance?"

The door opened wide.

Dr. Facilier took something out of his pocket. "Now I can look deep into your heart and soul and make your wildest dreams come true, but if I were a betting man, I'd say this is what you're looking for."

He held up a card. The top part of the card was shaped like a crown with three points. A picture of Locke was depicted on the paper.

"Poor treasure hunter. He went pokin' around in places he shouldn't."

Without another word, Dr. Facilier threw the card into the open door, watching as it vanished into the white void beyond.

The trio dropped all pretense and pulled out their weapons.

"Do you have time for that?" Dr. Facilier asked. "I would rush after your friend if I were you. I hear the world beyond the door is a quite breathtaking."

Growling, Sora, Donald and Goofy ran through the door.

* * *

If one were to find himself suddenly in the middle of a sky full of glittering stars, galaxy dust and distant nebulas, one's first instinct would be to gasp desperately for air. But not Sora. Additionally, one would be very worried if they suddenly landed on a haunted, demon ship. Except Sora.

For the first time since the journey began, Sora had had it! Being thrown through doors, rolled in taffy, dunked on with paint, tossed in the trash, and now he was stuck in a hostage situation and there was still no sign of King Mickey, Riku, or any answers to be had. So when heartless popped up on the ripped, cobwebbed sails above, holding Locke's card in their hands, Sora went full on Donald rage mode, climbed up onto the sails, and began slashing.

The heartless vanished and the card fell down onto the purple, black veined deck of the ghost ship. Goofy caught the card, and the second he touched it, a bright light blinded both the trio and the heartless crew.

Locke flopped onto the deck. Rotating his neck, he clenched his teeth. "Now I know what being turned to stone feels like."

"Talk later." Donald bashed an octopus heartless on the head. "Fight!"

A heartless lunged at Locke and he backflipped away. Recovering, he unleashed a pair of daggers and sliced the heartless in half. Sora watched his friends fighting from his place on the mast. The ship below breathed, the deck rising and falling, the purple, sinewy floor boards twitching.

A heartless flattened on the deck, moving toward Goofy like a shadow flatfish ready to strike. Sora jumped off the mast and stabbed his keyblade into the floor, destroying the heartless. The ship retaliated. The doors on the deck opened up and heartless spilled out like water taking over a sinking ship.

Locke jumped in front of the trio and raised his daggers.

"Thundaga!"

He fried the octopus, jellyfish, and spongey blobs, but just as he did, a group of pirate heartless took their place. Swords, muskets, and knives were pointed at the group. Donald and Sora fired blizzard spells, while Goofy defended them from the sharp swords, but the heartless ship kept spewing more pirate and sea monster alike.

Up above, on the sails, a horde of pirate heartless jumped down, slamming Locke and Sora into the deck. Beads of sweat dripped off Sora's face, the weight of the heartless threatening to crush him into the gross, fleshy floor. Through the swarming eyes and dark bodies, he saw Donald and Goofy's arms reach in and try to pull them out. The heartless thrashed, biting and scratching, forcing Sora's friends to pull their arms back or risk losing them.

Darkness pressed down on Sora's back, and he felt his lungs flattening. He choked, unable to see, with no choice but to listen to the hissing of the heartless in his ears.

Bang.

The heartless flew off Sora. The floor tipped to the left, and Sora slide down with the heartless to the other side of the ship. He crashed into the wall on the port side. The heartless tumbling off of him, falling into the vast emptiness of space.

Bang.

The ship rumbled, shaking like rag in a hurricane.

Holding onto the wall, and trying to keep the contents of his stomach on the inside, Sora spotted another ship hovering beyond the starboard side of the heartless one. Blasts of light exploded like fireworks from the ship, slamming into the haul of the living vessel Sora stood on. The heartless ship groaned a low, underwater tuba sound. The flying fish heartless moved toward the shining, enemy ship, where they were easily picked off by the giant lazer cannons one by one.

"Prepare the next firing round gents! We've got captives to rescue!"

Was it Sora's imagination or was there an actual cat woman giving orders on the other ship. Another blast from the golden ship split the heartless deck in half. The heartless tumbled into space. Locke and the trio struggled to stay standing as the fleshy floor heaved and snapped underneath them.

"Over here," someone shouted.

Turning toward the stern, Sora spotted a boy and a big man with a cybernetic arm in a flying skiff. They flew the lifeboat closer to the heartless ship. The cyber-man tied a rope around the boy's waste and the boy leaned his hand out of the ship.

"Grab on!"

Sora reached down and tossed Donald up. The boy caught the duck and pulled him into the skiff. Goofy interlaced his fingers to give Sora a boost, but before Sora could jump, a heartless popped up behind Goofy. Luckily, Locke tackled the heartless, obliterating it with his daggers.

The heatless ship was on its last legs. Beneath Sora's feet, the living wood shattered into pieces and he sunk into the floor. He clawed at splinters to keep himself from slipping, his feet dangled over nothing. Locke and Goofy grabbed his arms, pulled him out and threw him up onto the skiff.

Crashing into Donald and the young boy, Sora quickly pulled himself up and looked over. Locke and Goofy were climbing the mast. The heartless ship below was crumbling piece by piece. Whatever monster still on the ship, crawled and scratched up the mast after Locke and Goofy.

Without a moment to lose, the boy and the cyber-man moved the ship closer to the mast. The big man's cybernetic arm shifted, morphing into a claw. He clamped his metal pincer on the boat's railing and jumped out. Hanging on the side of the boat by his hand, balancing with his robot peg leg, the big man stretched his thick arm down toward the mast.

"Jimbo, take the skiff down!" he ordered.

"Aye, aye!" The boy grabbed the skiff's lever and cranked it down.

The skiff lowered.

"Jump lads!"

Locke grabbed Goofy's shirt collar and tossed him up. The robot man caught him. Donald and Sora leaned over the side and pulled their friend in. With Goofy onboard, they grabbed the cyber man's arm and helped him haul Locke into the skiff.

The small boat dipped downward from the extra weight and the big man yelped.

"They're inching on us, lad!"

Sora and Donald looked down. The heartless were jumping up, scratching the bottom of the boat with their claws.

"Hey! Stop that! Blizzaga!"

Donald's spell encased the heartless in ice, giving them just the second they needed to get away.

The boy pushed everyone in the skiff, making them sit down. "Hold on!"

The skiff zoomed back toward the golden ship in the distance. When they neared, the cyber-man's arm morphed into a flag. He waved to the crew below.

"All clear! Blast away!"

"You heard the man! Light up the skies!"

Sora, Locke and the others watched the fireworks as the lazer cannons blasted what was left of the heartless. The living ship melted like candle wax, its droplets crumbling into dust. The big man and the boy hollered, throwing their fists in the air.

Slowly, the skiff descended down onto the deck of the golden ship. Sora whistled as he looked at the glittering sails. The material didn't look like cloth and it shined with a golden, hexagonal pattern, reflecting the light of the stars. The ship blow had the smoothest, cleanest deck Sora had ever seen. Even Captain Hook's pirate ship had had cracks and scuffs on it. This ship looked as though it were polished by the hour.

"I think I might want to trade the gummi ship for this ride."

"What?" Donald snapped. "No way!"

"It _is_ a very pretty, old-timey ship though," Goofy said.

"Traitor." Donald huffed.

Locke cleared his throat, extending his hand to the big man with the cybernetic arm. "Thanks for pulling us out of there. Name's Locke Cole."

"John Silver." The man's flag arm morphed into robot fingers as he shook Locke's hand. "That was some mighty impressive fighting back there." He winked with his golden, cyber eye.

"And this lad here," John Silver reached behind him and threw his arm around the young man in question, "none other then Jim Hawkins! That was fine flying, lad." He ruffled the boy's hair.

Snorting, the Jim pushed Silver off. He smoothed out his hair, a cheeky grin on his face. "Hold on, we're about to touch down."

Silver was the first to jump off when the skiff hovered next to the deck. His pot belly stuck out as he put his hands on his hips and roared out a laugh that nearly shook the sails.

"That's how it's done mates!"

The crew came forward, cheering, throwing their hands in the air, stomping their feet. Sora jumped onto the deck and was swallowed by the merriment. He joined in the celebration, hollering with Donald and Goofy. Once Locke was off the skiff, Jim took the little boat below the ship.

Locke glanced at the crew with his eyebrows raised. "Well, I've now seen a crew that's more ragtag then Setzer's, and I was a part of that one."

Said crew were indeed the strangest Sora had ever seen, and he had seen a whole crew made entirely out of heartless just a second ago. The current sailors came in all shapes in sizes. Four armed, one eyed, horned, six eyed, fish-faced, short, tall, grey, loose skinned, some even with no legs.

One of them looked like a slug with all kinds of tentacles on its back. It blew farting noises out of the many trunks-like appendages that grew out of the area where the mouth would usually be. Sora tried not to laugh, but despite himself he couldn't help smiling.

One of the bigger crew members sneered. "What are you smiling about, stowaway?"

"Enough," commanded a deep voice.

The sailors spread apart and cut the chit-chat. A tall, man walked toward Sora, Donald, Goofy and Locke. This one didn't look like the crew at all. In fact he looked like a giant rock that had come to life. Despite his rather tough looking skin, he was the most dignified sailor among the group, wearing a wrinkle free, red tailcoat with golden shoulder tassels.

The rock man moved aside to allow a tall, slender woman through. She wore a royal blue uniform with golden accents, complete with boots and white set of pants. Her gait was graceful, like a feline, which was fitting because that was exactly what she was. Her green eyes were so fierce, Sora could swear she could see in the dark. Her cat ears twitched attentively to all the growls, breaths and grunts the crew let out. Even her cat nose scrunched up as she sized up Sora and his companions.

"Well gents, a fine vessel you four decided to unceremoniously collide into," said the cat. She reached out and cupped Sora's jaw in her clawed hand. "I already have a ludicrous parcel of driveling galoots on my ship. I have no use for stowaways. You four are lucky that I am merciful, otherwise I would have thrown you to the space whales by now."

"I believe the proper term is 'orcus galacticus,' Captain."

The cat woman raised her eyebrow and turned around to smile smugly at another passenger. The man that had the gall to correct her was actually a rather scholarly looking dog. Even though he didn't look as athletic as the captain, or had the same commanding presence, his lips were set in a proud line under his big nose.

"Dr. Doppler, with the outmost respect, I wouldn't expect an academic to be able to read the rather obvious state of enforcing a chain of command, nor understand the nuances of drawing respect from your new subordinates during a state of initiation."

She must have said something that insulted the dog doctor, because he stiffened, his upper lip twitching, and it was a good thing too. Without his reaction Sora would have had no idea that what the captain had just said was meant to be an insult. In fact, he was still trying to figure just exactly what she meant.

"Captain Amelia," the dog growled.

"Now Doctor, I mean this in a very caring way. Zip your howling screamer." She cleared her throat. "Mr. Arrow."

The rock man stood straight, clearing his throat. "Yes, Captain."

"Show these gents how one gives thanks on this ship."

Captain Amelia, her hands folded behind her back, walked into the captain's quarters. Once she was gone, the crew dispersed, each getting to their posts. Silver bowed to the trio and Locke before moved below deck.

"Good luck lads. I'll be down in the kitchens. Have to make sure Jimbo has not set fire to tonight's dinner."

Mr. Arrow kicked a set of buckets and some brushes toward Sora, Donald, Goofy and Locke.

"Welcome aboard the RLS Legacy. There's no room for idle hands on this crew. Time to pay back for the rescue. I expect a thorough washing from bow to stern. Understood?"

Even Locke gave a half-hearted, "yes, sir."

Mr. Arrow went back to the ship's wheel, but Sora and the others still felt his eyes on them as they began their chore. It was a good thing the other crew members stayed out of their way as they worked, because it gave Sora the perfect chance to ask Locke what had happened to him back in Castle Oblivion.

"How did Doctor Facilier catch you? What happened?"

Locke rolled his shoulders. "While waiting for you guys to come back, I was tinkering with the castle, trying to figure out where the draft was coming from. Turns out there's a hidden passage to another room."

Donald quacked. "Another room?"

"Yes. I was attacked by black fireballs while I was investigating."

"Frollo," Sora said.

"Next thing I knew, I was stuck in that card. My guess is that the witch doctor guy didn't want me to tell you what I found out."

"What was in that room?"

"Nothing much, just a white room with a crystal ball, and a few other hidden treasures I put away for myself, but I did learn a few things about Castle Oblivion. You guys ready to here this?"

Jiminy hopped out of Sora's hood and landed on Locke's shoulder. "Let me take out my journal! I have to write this down." He tapped his quill on an empty space, indicating he was ready.

Locke cleared his throat. "Castle Oblivion is a prison that locks in anyone that comes inside of it."

Jiminy wrote. "So that's why we couldn't get out once the door closed behind us."

"That's not all. The castle throws anyone that accidentally stumbles upon it by throwing them into random worlds and trapping them there. I'm guessing that since you have a keyblade, that's why you are able to return to the castle from these worlds. If you want to leave the castle through the entrance you entered from, the only way to escape is to lock seven specific keyholes. Each time one of the keyholes is locked, the prison weakens."

"That would explain why the castle wall looks flimsier every time we return from the worlds beyond the door."

"Wait a minute. That must have been what those words meant. 'Passage given only when all seven locks are sealed.'" Sora calculated. "I've locked six worlds so far. Not counting Agrabah and Little London. And if Castle Oblivion is a prison, does that mean that Doctor Facilier has been sending us through the worlds so that we can open it and let him out?"

"Fellars, you don't think this is the last world that needs to be locked, do you?"

"If there are heartless here, then we have no choice," Sora said. "We can't let this world be destroyed."

Jiminy paced back and forth. "Hold on. Remember what Mama Odie said?" He flipped through his journal and read aloud. "A great shadow had left their world. Dr. Facilier is from the Enchanted Bayou and that was the first world we went to."

Sora flinched. "Are you saying that _we _let him into Castle Oblivion?"

"It's possible. Either that, or it was that mysterious hooded man that did it."

"Hooded man," Locke repeated. "I saw someone like that in the crystal ball back at the castle, right before Dr. Facilier trapped in that tarot card."

Jiminy finished writing. "Let's review. The castle is getting weaker because we've been locking the keyholes that break down the wall that leads out. Castle Oblivion is a prison and it seems that only a keyblade master can get out once trapped inside. But why is it built that way? And what was the castle a prison for?"

"The realm of darkness?" Donald suggested.

Sora swallowed. "But, wait. There's was nothing beyond the castle except that long plain we were in."

"Not anymore," Jiminy said. "Whatever is outside has changed. It's a city now. We'll have to investigate when we get back."

"That's _if_ we find the door back to Castle Oblivion." Donald moaned. "Need I remind you that we fell right out of the sky?"

"Don't worry, fellars, I'm sure we'll find the door once we've finished what we need to do."

Sora bit his lip. "But what if the door to escape the prison is completely open when we go back?"

"That means," Locke's voice darkened, "that we need to take out Dr. Facilier before he can escape."

* * *

The hard work was a welcome distraction from Sora's anxious thoughts. Even after an hour of scrubbing, they were still only halfway done.

John Silver came up on the deck, dragging Jim Hawkins behind him. Silver clicked his teeth at Locke and the trio's handy work.

"Aye lads, still got half a ship to scrub by the looks of it." He thumped Jim on the back so hard that the boy stumbled forward.

"Say hello to Mr. Mop and Mrs. Bucket, Jimbo. Time for you to do yer part as cabin boy."

"Yippee." Jim rolled his eyes. He picked up a mop.

Laughing, Silver lumbered back down below deck.

Sora cracked his back. He wouldn't be surprised if he woke up with callouses the next morning. Jim poured soapy water on the deck and started mopping, his brown hair falling over his eyes. Locke, Donald and Goofy spread out toward the back of the ship, leaving Sora and Jim alone toward the middle. The boys worked in silence.

A few times Sora looked over, trying to thank Jim for helping them off the heartless ship earlier. Yet there was a hint of sadness in the shadows around Jim's eyes, and Sora thought better of bothering him. Still, sitting still for too long without talking was starting to get on Sora's last nerve and he looked over at Jim to try and say hello when suddenly Jim slammed his mop down on the wooden deck.

"What are you looking at?"

Sora wrinkled his nose. "What are _you_ looking at?"

Jim knocked over his bucket, spilling soapy water all over the floor that Sora had just scrubbed dry.

"Hey!"

"You got a problem with me?"

Snickering drew Sora's attention. The commotion had drawn in the crew. Smacking their fists into their palms and glaring, they surrounded Sora and Jim. The two boys found themselves back to back, surrounded.

"Are we goin' have a go? A tussle?"

"Me money's on the boy in red."

"That scrawny brat? Hawkins' going to bust him up for sure."

"Whoa," Sora put up his hands. "Who said anything about fighting?"

It was like he had insulted everyone's mother. The grins were replaced with clenched teeth.

"Yer saying I left me post for nothing?"

One of the sailors grabbed Sora's shoulders and shoved him at Jim. The boys fell over.

Standing, Sora extended his hand to Jim. "You okay?"

"Oi! Don't help 'im up, idiot!"

In the distance, Sora heard Donald and Goofy's cries. Locke pushed his way through the crowd, but then a red, crab claw clamped down around his arm and threw him back. The sailors snickered and then moved apart, allowing an eight legged creature to tower over Sora and Jim.

Now Sora wasn't one to judge someone based on what they look like, but the orange, bug-eyed glare from the half spider, half crab gave made his throat dry up. The sailor moved around the boys, snapping his shiny claws. His long, thin head moved downwards, the hump on his back making him resemble a bull that was ready to charge. Thin lips curled upward over his lower fangs, making his smile look both hungry and spiteful at the same time.

"Cabin boys need to learn how to work quietly, or there will be trouble," the spider-crab hissed.

The crew cheered. "Scroop, Scroop, Scroop!"

Jim smirked. "Why, you got something to hide, bright eyes?"

In a flash, the spider-crab, Scroop, reached out, grabbed Jim's shirt, and lifted him up. "Maybe your ears don't work so well."

Jim coughed, leaning away from the spider's face. "Too bad my nose works just fine."

"You little-"

Sora aimed his keyblade at the Scroop's thorax. "Put him down."

Scroop looked over Jim's shoulder and sneered at Sora. A claw appeared in front of Sora's eyes. Smack.

Sora flew backward, crashing into a four-armed a crew member. The brute used its extra limbs to restrain Sora's arms and legs.

"Let go!"

Scroop put his claw under Jim's neck.

"Any last words, cabin boy?"

A robotic hand shot out from crowd, grabbed Scroop's claw and pulled it away. Hissing, Scroop turned away from Jim. A look of surprise appeared in his wide eyes. Silver stood next to him, a relaxed smile on his face.

"Mr. Scroop, have ye ever seen what happens to a fresh purp when you squeeze real _hard_?"

Silver bent Scroop's arm at an odd angle, his robotic fingers pressing down on the claw until there was a crack. Scroop flinched, dropping Jim. Grunting, Scroop held his injured claw and glared at Silver. There was an angry shout.

"What's all this then?"

The crew winced, moving out of Mr. Arrow's way. Arrow loomed over Scroop, Jim and Silver, and then gave the crew an authoritative glare.

"You know the rules. There will be no brawling on this vessel! Understood?"

The crew lowered their heads. "Aye, sir."

"Any further offenders," Arrow continued, "will be confined to the brig for the remainder of the voyage." Arrow spat in Scroop's face. "Am I clear?"

Scroop hissed at Arrow through clenched teeth. He cast a look at Silver and exhaled.

"Transparently, sir."

"Back to your posts," Mr. Arrow barked.

The crowd moved apart. The brutish sailor dropped Sora onto the deck. He sat there, rubbing his behind and his forehead, when Donald, Goofy and Locke surrounded him. Helping him stand, Locke patted down Sora for injuries.

"You okay kid?"

"Jimbo!" Silver bellowed. "And the rest of ya. You had one job-"

"Hey, I was doing it until that bug thing-"

"Belay that! I want this deck swabbed spotless and heaven help you if I come back and it's not done!" Silver stomped back down to the kitchens.

Jim, Locke and the trio sighed. The crew had left footprints all over the floors they had just cleaned. They had to start from scratch.

An hour and a half later, the sky had darkened as the ship had moved into quieter space. Sora, Donald and Goofy sat under the main mast, with their eyes squeezed shut. Between fighting the heartless, cleaning the first time, arguing with the crew and cleaning up, again, Sora felt more exhausted then he had in a long time. Even Locke had gone down below deck to collapse on one of the hammock's in the crew's quarters.

Jim put away his mop and bucket and stood under the foremast, looking out into the stars with glassy eyes. Sora left Donald and Goofy snoozing. He was about to say hello to Jim when he heard a half stomp, half tap pattern of footsteps behind him. Silver walked by Sora and cleared his throat, catching Jim's attention.

"Thank heavens for little miracles. Up here for over an hour and the deck's still in one piece." Silver looked at Donald and Goofy. "Yer friends out right tuckered themselves out. Have ya never done a day's work lad?"

Actually, Sora couldn't remember the last time he had worked so hard, on a chore at least. Riku wasn't around to pick up the slack, but he was too embarrassed to say that so instead he puffed out his chest.

"This is nothing."

Silver shook his head, seeing through the lie.

Jim played with his jacket collar. "Look, I um." He took a deep breathe. "Thanks for stopping that spider psycho."

Silver sat on the railing. "Lads, that was a fool's thing to do."

"But I didn't-"

Silver cut Sora off. "Didn't your paps ever teach you to pick your fights more carefully?"

Sora rubbed the crown on his necklace.

Jim's lips set in a hard line. He turned away.

Silver's eyes softened. "I see. Your fathers are not the teaching sort."

"No," Jim crossed his arms. "He was more of the 'taking off and never coming' back sort."

"That's awful," said Sora.

"Sorry lad."

"It's no big deal." Jim forced a smile. "I'm just fine."

Silver bumped his metal shoulder against Jim's. "Is that so. Well, since the captain has put me in charge of you and the rest of the lot we rescued, like or not, I'll be pounding a few skills into that thick head of yers."

Sora and Jim blinked. "What?"

"From now on, I'm not letting your five out of me sight."

"You can't do that," Jim snapped.

"Yeah, what about-"

"You two won't so much as sleep, eat, or scratch yer bums without my say so."

Jim growled. "Don't do us any favors."

"Oh you can be sure of that lads." Silver leaned his head back and laughed into the sky. "You can be sure of that. Get some rest while ya can."

When he was gone, Jim collapsed onto the floor. Once again, Sora stood in silence, not sure what to say or do. It had been a while since he'd been someone near his own age. Jim wasn't anything like Wilbur and Luis. He was quieter, and Sora felt like he had a lot to prove.

He remembered Riku, back when they were reunited in Traverse Town. Maybe if Sora hadn't been so competitive, hadn't tried to impress Riku with his keyblade or the gummi ship, then Riku wouldn't have wanted to one up him so much. Maybe then, he wouldn't have turned to Maleficent for more power.

Taking in a deep breathe, Sora raised his hand.

"Hey, Jim?"

"What do you want?"

"I wanted to say I'm sorry."

Jim looked up. "If this this is about my old man-"

"No, I meant for earlier. I wasn't trying to pick a fight. I wanted to thank you, for saving us from that heartless ship."

Jim scratched his head. "Oh that. Don't worry about it."

"That was some cool flying. Where did you learn to handle a skiff like that? Did Silver teach you?"

"Naw. It's not that different from flying on a solar surfer, so it came easy to me."

"What's a solar surfer?"

Jim raised an eyebrow.

Standing, he motioned for Sora to follow. "Come on."

It turned out that a solar surfer was a lot like a surfboard, except it was made out of metal, with a retractable solar sail and a pair of thrusters on the back. Jim brought it up on deck and taught Sora how to ride. It wasn't long before the two of them were taking turns riding around the sails. Jim even built another solar sailor for Sora out of spare parts from the ship.

They raced.

Sora lost.

When they got back down on the deck, he swore. "One of these days, I'm going to actually _win_ a race and then I will rub it in Riku's smug face." He spoke in an mocking, low voice. "'We're naming the ship, _Highwind_. The paopu thing was just a _joke_.' That jerk! He owes me a rematch!"

"Who's Riku?" Jim asked, putting the solar surfers away.

"My best friend." Sora looked at the stars. "He's out there, somewhere."

"We're alike."

"You think?"

Jim rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah. Hey, sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have egged on that spider-pyscho. I have a problem with uh, following rules sometimes."

Sora raised an eyebrow. "No kidding."

"Shut it. That's why I'm on this voyage, to prove I can do right. I show my mom that she can rely on me."

"Where is this ship headed anyway?"

Jim looked around. They stood alone on the quarter deck. The only crew members still awake were the ones in the crow's nest.

"I found a map," Jim whispered.

Sora's eyes shined. "Like a treasure map? No way."

"Not just any treasure map, a map to _the_ Treasure Planet. Where Captain Flint stashed the loot of a thousand worlds."

Sora looked out into space. Worlds. Was this ship able to travel between them? How was that possible? The worlds were divided from each other. Unless this space was a part of Jim's world somehow. So was this ship moving around the interspace between worlds or did this world have its own version of space, or...Sora's head was starting to hurt.

"I'm a little behind on my pirate legends. Who's Captain Flint?"

Jim rolled his eyes. "Only the most feared pirate in history." He jumped up onto the railing and pointed to the stars. "They say that on clearest of nights when the winds of the Etherium were calm and peaceful, great merchant ships felt safe and secure. Little did they know they were pursued by pirates. And the most feared of them all was Captain Nathaniel Flint. Flint and his band of renegades would swoop in out of nowhere and once they gathered up the spoils, they would vanish," Jim snapped his fingers, "without a trace."

"Cool."

"Right? They never found Flint's treasure, but they say that it's stashed at the edges of the galaxy, on Treasure Planet. That's where we're going. When I bring home the treasure to my mom, I would have made up for all the mistakes I've made. We can rebuild our inn and start fresh."

Sora yawned. "In that case, maybe we should get some shut eye. Can't find any treasure while sleep deprived."

"Aw, is it Sora's bed time?"

"Excuse me? I can stay awake longer then you."

"Prove it."

"You're on."

* * *

_**Jiminy's Journal**_

James Pleiades Hawkins (First Appeared in Treasure Planet, 2002): The ship's cabin boy. Jim has a bit of a smart mouth, and a chip on his shoulder, but there is a starry eyed, honest need for adventure under his rebellious front. Despite his complaints, he is a hard worker and has a talent for sailing. He hopes to prove himself on his voyage and set things right with his mother by bringing back gold from Treasure Planet. It looks as though he and Sora became fast friends.

John Silver (First Appeared in Treasure Planet, 2002): A cyborg with a cybernetic arm that can take on many shapes, from a clamp to a set of knives for cooking. He also has a cybernetic peg leg and eye. For a big man with an easygoing personality, he can be surprisingly strict when ordering his cabin boys around. He seems to have a soft spot for Jim, and a suspiciously intense respect from the crew.

Captain Amelia (First Appeared in Treasure Planet, 2002): The captain of the RLS Legacy. Sharp witted, and quick tongued, Captain Amelia runs a tight ship, even treating her rescues as honorary members of the crew. Leading by example, she expects nothing less then complete propriety and obedience. She has a loquacious way of speaking, and seems to enjoy intimidating her crew.

Mr. Arrow (First Appeared in Treasure Planet, 2002): The first mate of the RLS Legacy. He and Captain Amelia seem to have a deep rotted respect for each other, as she lets him handle the affairs of the ship independently. Mr. Arrow is loyal to his captain and makes sure the crew lives up to her high standards.

Scroop (First Appeared in Treasure Planet, 2002): Part spider, part crab, Scroop feels more like a pirate then a crew member, as he has no problem threatening others with violence. It seems as though he respects Silver and Mr. Arrow enough, but it may be a better plan to steer clear of this one. There's no telling what he would do when no one is looking.


	25. Chapter 24: Supernova

**DISCLAIMER**: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy or any of the Disney/Square Enix characters that appear in this work. Please support the original releases.

* * *

**_Chapter 24: Supernova_**

* * *

When Sora rolled out of his hammock and slammed onto the floor early the next morning, he was surprised to see Locke standing over him.

"Kid, those clothes are filthy and it seems as though you've outgrown them. Now I managed to scrounge up what I could, but I still think this outfit is a better look for you then what you've got going on." Locke dropped a paper parcel onto Sora's chest. "Get changed. Silver's hollering for us." Locke walked out.

Standing, Sora looked at his red shorts and jacket. He was still covered in all the paint and grime he had collected from the worlds he had traveled to so far. The soles of his shoes were starting to peel off. His shorts were ripped and higher up on this thigh then he remembered. Just how long had he been traveling?

He unpacked the parcel. The outfit Locke had picked out for him replaced his red onesie with a blue and black shirt. He got a new black, short sleeved jacket with a hood and a pair of black shoes. Cargo pants completed the look. Yellow belts, red pockets and blue accents decorated the outfit. After changing, Sora met Donald, Goofy, Jim and Locke up on deck.

Goofy gave him a thumbs up. "Nice duds, Sora."

"Glad I picked the right size," said Locke. "Looks good on you."

Donald crossed his arms. "About time you changed those old shorts for pair of actual pants."

Jim smirked. "Yeah, you look less like a momma's boy now."

Sora narrowed his eyes. "You want to say that again?"

"You kept the necklace though." Jim pointed to the silver crown that rested on Sora's collarbone.

"This? It was my dad's."

"Was?"

"Yeah," Sora looked up at the sails. "He's gone now."

"You too huh?"

"Not like that. I lost him."

"Oh."

Donald and Goofy looked down at the floor. "Gosh, Sora."

"It's no big deal. It was a long time ago."

Jim opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it. Mercifully, Silver arrived just in time to distract them from their grim mood.

"Well, I see that yer all up and about. Hope ya got a good night's sleep." Silver smirked. "Because you cabin boys have one doozy of a chore list."

"Silver!"

Donald, Sora, and Goofy stiffened, hands at their sides. Locke, Jim, and Silver looked up at Mr. Arrow with passive expressions.

"Captain's orders. We're in need of restocking. Assemble an away team. We'll be docking on a supply planet shortly."

"My dear sir! The crew hasn't even had their mornin' stew!"

"You have one hour. The captain expects breakfast to be ready before docking."

Mr. Arrow walked away, his hands clenched tightly behind his back.

Silver leaned his heavy body forward in a massive sigh, and then pinned Jim and Sora with a sneaky grin when he straightened. "Well, I did say I was going to teach the pair of ya a thing or two." He pointed to the kitchens. "We've got a monster of a day's meal to cook boys."

Silver had not been kidding. Locke, Jim, and Sora peeled and sliced an entire storeroom full of vegetables. Goofy stood over a cauldron, stirring a thick soup for so long that his arms trembled. Meanwhile, Donald washed so many cooking utensils that his feathers bristled with annoyance.

When they rolled out the giant stew onto the deck, the entire crew swarmed them like a pack of hungry wolves. While Silver took a cart full of breakfast to the captain's quarters, the trio, Jim and Locke took turns ladling and serving bowls of stew. Each member of the crew ate over three bowls, leaving barely any breakfast left for the cooks.

After eating, Silver returned and gave Locke, Donald and Goofy a chore chart.

"Best hope those tasks are finished by the time I come back, boys," Silver winked, "because you don't want to see what a hungry crew will do to ya!"

Goofy grabbed Donald before the duck could jump on Silver's shoulders and start punching. Shaking his head, Locke tied an apron around his waist and got to work.

Sora and Jim followed Silver to the deck where the away teams lined up in neat, three man rows. Captain Amelia, marched in front of the crew and pierced them with a narrowed, green eyed stare.

"Listen here you miserable pack of unscrupulous, blathering, untrained dung beetles. We will be docking on a rogue planet shortly. Each of you has a list of provisions and supplies you are to bring back to the ship, and I expect nothing less then the amount specified. Otherwise, it will be your meal that will come up short for the rest of the voyage."

Captain Amelia nodded at Mr. Arrow. He gave each team out a piece of paper. The vastness of space faded, blocked out by a massive purple, blue, and green sphere. As the ship moved closer to the planet's surface, the atmosphere replaced the distant stars and nebulas, painting the sky in a green hue instead.

Sora felt tingly. An actual planet, not another world. How was that possible? He had to bite his lip to keep himself from jumping up and down in excited glee. After all, Mr. Arrow and Captain Amelia were right there. The captain's eyes caught him, as though she had a radar for sensing unprofessionalism. Immediately, Sora swallowed and tried to look as serious as possible, which was super hard because the corners of his lips kept twitching, begging to smile.

As the ship docked, Sora felt the skin prickle on the back of his neck. He turned to see Scroop sneering down at him from the main mast, his orange eyes narrowed.

"Creepy spider psycho," Jim mumbled, noticing Sora's line of sight.

"You said it."

The away teams jumped off and disappeared into the rough, rocky, blue and purple mountains. Sora tried his best to keep pace with Jim and silver, despite the fact that all he really wanted to do was stare at the strange, spiral shaped bushes, zigzagging flowers, and arched mountains.

"We're looking for plasma pods. Not an easy task our dear Mr. Arrow handed us."

"Plasma pods?" Sora and Jim repeated.

"Seems as though that last battle reduced the cannon's supply," Silver explained. "Plasma pods make good fuel for explosives."

Jim eyes brightened. "Cool."

"Aye, but they're hard to find, growing in a place that's both dark and light. Not to mention there's no tellin' what kind of creepy crawlies there are on this here rock. Keep yer eyes peeled."

Sora summoned his keyblade.

Shrugging, Jim put his hands in his pockets.

Silver raised a brow. "Lad, get yer hands out! Here." He shoved a laser pistol in Jim's hands.

Jim looked back at Silver with his mouth open. "You're serious?"

"What? Don't tell me ya don't know how to shoot."

Jim rolled his eyes, twirling the pistol."Please, how hard could it be?"

The trigger went off and a runaway shot flew out, nearly shooting through Sora's toe.

He jumped. "Hey!"

Jim held the pistol right side up, his eyes wide. "Oops."

Silver rubbed his forehead with his meaty paw. Then he snapped his fingers at Sora. "I trust you know how to use that blade o' yers?"

Sora, without looking away from Jim, twirled his keyblade.

Jim huffed. "Show off."

"Focus on me, Jimbo." Silver's robotic hand morphed into pistol. "Got to teach ya how to shoot that thing right before ya put holes where they shouldn't be. Sora, give us a target."

Shrugging, Sora shot out a series of fire spells into the sky. Silver stretched his arm, pointing the tip of his pistol at the three fireballs.

Pop, pop, pop!

Each of the targets burst one by one, sprinkles of laser dust appearing in the smoke. Jim and Sora clapped.

"Your turn, lad."

Silver got behind Jim and raised the boy's arm. "Keep yer knees bent but yer stance firm. These things push back."

Jim planted his feet firmly in the dirt. Holding his pistol with both hands, he raised his weapon and closed an eye.

"Keep 'em both open."

Silver nodded at Sora.

Sora casted his spell. Silver held Jim's arm, angling the pistol at the fireball.

"Now!"

Jim shot. The spell exploded.

"Nice lad!" Silver clapped. "Still standing. That's a good sign."

Jim flung his arm up and down, as though trying to throw off a spider. "This thing recoils more then my solar sailer."

"Harder then ya thought eh?" Silver went over how to use the laser pistol correctly. "Well, ya got the basics. Now practice with a few unmoving targets. Let's go."

Hiking through the curving trails, Jim snuck a few shoots at rocks and bushes whenever Silver stopped a moment to scan the environment. Soon they found themselves hiking up a rocky mountainside. Up ahead, was a spiral shaped peak.

Sora followed Silver silently until he felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning, he watched as Jim grinned and then proceeded to shoot a tiny rock that had been resting on the tip of the cliff they had just passed.

Bullseye. The rock popped off the cliff, disappearing down into the dark valley below.

Accepting the challenge, Sora pointed to a boulder across the cliffs. He hurled his keyblade at it, cracking the rock down the middle. Jim rolled his eyes. At the top of Sora's cracked rock were three tiny pebbles. Jim shot all three rocks. Huffing, Sora threw a fire spell at a rock wall. It crumbled, the boulders sliding down the cliff. Jim shot the rocks as they fell, hitting each of his targets. It was all fun and games until a runaway laser whizzed by Silver's ear.

Turning around, he bellowed, "Boys!"

Sora and Jim pointed at each other. "It was his idea."

They glared.

"If you two have time for fun and games," Silver smiled, "then you'll have plenty energy for the rest of the chores we've got lined up back on the ship."

Sora and Jim hung their heads. "Great."

"And besides," Silver said, "this is how you do it!"

Morphing his hand into a pistol, Silver aimed. They stood on a slopped cliff above a great chasm. Across the dark valley below was a rock formation with a single, thinly sliced boulder balanced precariously at the top. Silver shot the slim target and then waited patiently. The rock pancaked hard onto a pile of boulders. The entire mountainside roared. A rockslide thundered into the darkness below. Sora and Jim's jaws dropped.

One of the boulders hit the wall on their side of the mountain, cracking it. The wall crumbled away, revealing a cave underneath. Sora stared into the hole. Something glimmered within.

He pointed. "I think I found what we're looking for. Look in there."

Silver's cyber eye zoomed into the crevice. "Hah! Light from above, darkness from within. We found the plasma pods, lads."

While Silver held a rope, Sora and Jim climbed down into the cliffside cave. Slipping into the surprisingly large space, Jim and Sora opened up a pair of burlap bags. Purple moss pulsed along the walls, swelling and collapsing, as though they drew breathe. Poking out of the moss were bright, green bulbs. They glowed like lanterns. Carefully, Jim and Sora cut the plasma pods off their vines. Sora picked the last pod and stared into its green light. Something grey and syrupy dripped onto the pod's glimmering surface.

Sora looked up and his throat went dry.

"Jim! Look out!"

Sora threw his keyblade. By the time Jim reacted, the keyblade shredded through the black tentacles that had reached for him from the ceiling. It took seconds for Jim to aim his pistol at the giant, fanged, heartless flower that hung overhead. The creature's thorny vines flashed out, wrapped around Sora, and hoisted him up. Jim shifted his attention, shooting at the vines that were quickly mummifying Sora. Angry, the creature's vines tightened, squeezing Sora until the boy's face turned red.

Jim threw a plasma pod at the ceiling. Keeping his eyes open, he shot. The pod burst right under the flower's dripping mouth. Green fire spread all along the its thorns and leaves. An ear drilling squeal vibrated through the cavern.

The heartless dropped Sora. He sucked on air, hacking as he wobbled to his feet. Through the smoke above, thorny tentacles reached out and grabbed Jim's waist. The heartless threw him to the wall. Jim's shoulder and temple banged against the rock. He crumbled to his knees.

Sora dashed forward. Thorns rained down on him from the ceiling. Sliding and ducking from the sharp attacks, Sora threw firaga spells over his head. The only good that did was slow the heartless' attacks down, letting Sora reach Jim . He bellowed a healing spell, bringing color back to Jim's face.

"Let's get out of here."

Jim pointed over Sora's shoulder. The heartless' vines were covering the entrance to the cavern, blocking the light, casting them in complete darkness.

Something sliced through the vines. Silver's face appeared through the cut.

"Cover yer ears!"

Silver's arm morphed into a mini cannon. He shoved the barrel through the vines, aiming at the heartless. The resulting shot banged along the walls and slammed against Sora's chest. If he hadn't been covering them, he was sure his ear drums would have burst. The heartless' ripsaw shriek made him grind his teeth together. It pulled back its tentacles. Silver stretched his cybernetic arm.

"Reach lads!"

Sora and Jim lunged at silver. Jim was the first one out, climbing up the rope with Silver and Sora right behind him. Seconds after he grabbed the rope, Sora felt a stinging pain on his leg. The creature's thorny vine wrapped his calf, the thorns digging into his skin. The rope burned Sora's palms as the plant pulled him down.

Jim called from above. "Hold on!"

A pair of lasers flared down from above, searing the vine. It peeled away from Sora's leg. Holding on to the rope with one hand, Sora aimed his keyblade at the cave entrance. He ignored the burning throbs in his leg, and screamed.

"Firaga!"

The spell crashed against a loose rocks on the roof of the cave. The cliff wall collapsed inward, squashing the heartless within. Sora spotted a pink heart floating out of the debris. Then, a pair of arms reached down and hoisted Sora back up onto the cliff.

Silver fell on his behind, holding both boys in his arms. "You all right lads?"

Jim stood, rubbing his temple and shoulder. "I'm fine."

Sora didn't rise. He lifted his pant leg, looking for injuries. Healthy skin greeted him. He rubbed his leg, feeling for bumps and scabs. There was nothing there, even the pain was gone, yet he swore he had felt burning just moments ago.

"You got a boo boo, Sora?"

Standing, Sora gave Jim a sideways glance. "Please, you're the one that needs a nurse after that thump on the head."

Jim stretched. "Naw. Thanks to you, I'm am operating at one hundred percent."

Sora reached out his arm. "And thanks to you, I wasn't plant food."

Jim bumped his fist with Sora. Then, he nodded at Silver, a heartfelt smile dancing in his eyes. "Thanks for getting us out of there."

"O' course. Now let's get those pods back to the ship."

* * *

Mr. Arrow counted the plasma pods. "Fine work. There was no trouble I assume?"

"Nothing me and the lads couldn't handle. Pair of bright boys, those two."

Jim and Sora beamed.

Mr. Arrow nodded approvingly. "The ship will be ready to sail soon. I suggest you get your afternoon meal before then."

It turned out that Donald, Goofy and Locke had made quite the delicious seafood (or was it space food) stew. Even Silver was impressed, but that hadn't made him ease up on the chores for the next few days. He made all five of them scrape off space urchins, from the ship's rudder all the way to its figurehead. They swabbed and polished the deck, tightened the mizzen ropes, and scrubbed so many dirty, stinky dishes, that both Sora and Jim's hands were wrinkly by the time they were done.

And that's how the voyage went, day after day. Sometimes they would watch Silver entertaining the crew by telling sweeping stories of his adventures. but most nights, Goofy, Donald, Sora, Locke, and Jim collapsed in the crew's quarters. The boys didn't even have the energy to go solar sailing. After five days, Silver finally gave them a break. On that night, Sora and Jim sat under the main mast, staring up at the ship's sails.

"Man, I miss the islands. I would just sail to the island where all the kids went to hang out, skipping homework and chores."

"No kidding. My mom needed all the help she could get running the Benbow Inn, and I would spend all of my time solar surfing if I didn't want to take on an extra shift."

Jim and Sora listened to the cosmic winds moving through the sails and the groaning of the ship as it cut through space. The quiet was interrupted by the sound of metal scrapping on wood.

A dog man in a red coat walked out onto deck. One of his arms was full of rolled up parchment. The other dragged a metal stand behind him. He muttered under his breathe.

"That woman, that _feline_. Who does she think is working for whom? If it weren't for me financing this expedition-oh!"

A powerful cosmic wind rocked the ship, and the parchment flew out of the dog's hands. The paper unrolled itself and rained down over the deck, easily sliding over the wood. They would have slipped off the ship if Sora and Jim hadn't jumped up to catch them all.

"Here you go, Delbert," said Jim, handing the star-charts and maps back to their owner.

The dog man set down the paper on the deck, using an old compass to hold them down. "Thank you Jim, and um, terribly sorry, young man, but I never got the chance to introduce myself. I'm Dr. Delbert Doppler."

Sora shook the dog's hand. "Nice to meet you Doctor. I'm Sora. So what's all this stuff?"

Dr. Doppler set up the metal stand, balancing a telescope on top of it. "It's not everyday one gets to look out at the vastness of the universe from a completely different point in space. I thought it a fine opportunity to view the nearby star systems."

Jim picked up one of the maps and unfolded it. "How far do you think we've come?"

Dr. Doppler put his tongue between his teeth, wrinkling his nose. "Well, that feline," he cleared his throat, "I mean, Captain Amelia, states that she's been viewing the map and we are halfway through the Magellanic Cloud."

Jim tapped a crescent shape on the map. "We're a long way from Montressor. Wonder what Mom's doing back at home."

Sora stared at the map in Jim's hands.

"Say, um, Doctor, are all the worlds, I mean, planets, charted on these?"

"Interested in astronomy are you? Well, even with my vast experience, I have yet to discover all the stars and planets out there. The universe is ever expanding and it will take more then my lifetime to unlock all of its secrets."

"Have you come across any planets called Olympus Colosseum or Halloween Town?"

Doppler lifted one of his floppy ears. "Afraid not. Are those newly discovered planets?"

Sora shook his head. "No, they're just, um, legends. I was just curious."

Dr. Doppler sniffed Sora with his big nose, as though trying to smell out a lie like a bloodhound. He must have decided that Sora was not suspicious, because he adjusted his round glasses, finished setting up his telescope, and looked through it.

"Ah! There it is! Take a look Jim. The Coral Galaxy."

Jim put his eye to the telescope. "Kinda small."

"Of course it is," Doppler huffed, "we're still light years from-"

The ship rocked over a turbulent solar wind, and the telescope nearly fell over. Sora caught it before it could hit the ground. Picking up a rope, Jim tied telescope's metal stand to one of the ship's cannons.

"What a fine knot. Is this one of your other hidden talents?"

Jim shook his head. "No. Silver showed me how."

"Keeping you on your toes, is he?"

Jim leaned his head back. "You have no idea. Any time I even think about running off to take a nap-"

Sora rubbed his temples. "He's there. Watching us."

"Aye, is that me name yer gossiping about?"

Sora and Jim grimaced when Silver walked by.

"Doc!" Silver slammed his fleshy hand on Doppler's shoulder. Doppler's glasses nearly flew off his nose.

"What do you say to me taking Jimbo here out on a ride to see the comet."

"Comet? What comet?"

"Aye, the Etherium is clear-"

"And the nebula are shining. Of course. A plasma comet is on the way."

Jim's eyes filled with excitement. "Really? We're going to fly up next to it?"

"A little reward for all yer hard work. That is if ya don't mind manning the skiff."

"Sora, are you coming?"

Sora rubbed his neck. "Normally, I'd say yes, but I have to save up energy for tomorrow."

"Hop to it, Jimbo. We can't let that comet get away."

"Aye, sir!"

Dr. Dopper removed the telescope from its stand. "Sora, watch my charts! I simply cannot let this opportunity pass me by!"

Dr. Doppler ran back to the quarter deck, where he pointed his telescope to the sky. It wasn't long before an electric, blue glow shined overhead. Sora watched the comet sail over the ship, its glittering tail sprinkled shining dust over the sails.

A memory flashed in Sora's mind, of Kairi reaching out for him at the End of the World. Coldness as well as warmth went through Sora's heart. He remembered screaming her name as he faded away from the newly restored Destiny Islands.

Reaching into his pocket, Sora pulled out Kairi's star shaped good luck charm. He promised he come home to her. Was their would a part of this one? Would they find his home if they kept sailing through space? If they went back to Castle Oblivion and defeated Dr. Facilier, would he eventually find a way home through the castle door?

"Something on your mind, kid?"

Sora pocketed Kairi's charm.

Locke came to stand next to him.

"This world is so confusing. It's like, where are we? Are we in interspace? The space Donald, Goofy and I flew the gummi ship in? Is this world a universe within an even bigger universe? It even has its own planets!" Sora drummed his fingers on his scalp. "My head hurts."

"Don't think too hard on it then." Locke leaned against the railing, taking a bite out of an apple. "Sometimes you just have to accept things as they are."

"They say that every star out there is a different world, and this world doesn't even have its whole universe mapped out. How far are the worlds from each other? How many are out there? It just makes me wonder if I'll ever find my friends."

"You'll find them," Locke said. "I'm searching too."

"For your friends?"

"For redemption."

"Hunting for more then treasure then?"

Locke threw what was left of his apple into the vast space below. "The greatest treasure kid," he pointed to Sora's chest, "is right here. Everything else is just shiny stuff. As long as you have that to connect you to your friends, you'll find them. I want to believe that's true."

Sora looked back at the comet. A tiny, spec chased after it. Silver and Jim. If they could catch up to a comet, why wouldn't he eventually run into his friends?

* * *

Sora and Jim balanced on their solar surfers. Hovering just behind the ship, they flew close to the thrusters. The plasma was weak, like a dying oil lamp in the middle of a frozen tundra.

"How's it looking, Jimbo?" Silver called from the deck above.

"I think the power is a little low. We may need a replacement."

"Hold on. I'll be down in a minute."

"Sora! Mr. Hawkins!"

Sora and Jim looked up. Captain Amelia watched them.

"Make sure those thrusters are operating at one hundred percent. We are about to enter a dangerous sector."

"Yes ma'am."

Captain Amelia's face disappeared from overhead, but her voice carried over. "Mr. Arrow, make sure this miserable ship is spot on from stem to stern."

"Aye. You heard the captain! Inspect the sails, tightened the ropes, make sure those cannons are secure!"

Clamoring echoed from above as the crew set about their tasks. A moment later, Silver floated up to Jim and Sora in a skiff.

"Here you are." He lifted a black cube. "One sparker, as ordered."

Sora passed tools along to Jim while the boy worked on opening up the compartment behind the thrusters. He set the black cube inside, tightened some knots, reworked some wires and then bolted the compartment shut.

"That should do it." Jim said. "Now all we need is to light it up."

"I got this. Get clear."

Sora flew back from the thrusters, aimed his keyblade into the rectangular tubes of the thrusters and shouted. "Firaga!"

The fireball hit the thrusters, and, like a chimney roaring to life, the thrusters burned with white, hot, plasma fire.

Silver whooped. "Now that's how it's done! All right, you two, get in the skiff so we can go back."

Once the boys were in the boat, Silver pointed to their solar sailors.

"I tell ya, if I was able to ride like you two, they would've been bowing in the streets as I walked by."

Sora leaned back against the skiff, a grin on his face. "We are pretty good huh?"

Jim shrugged. "I don't know, they weren't exactly singing my praises when I left home." Jim looked up at the stars. "But I'm going to change that. Already on my way to making people see me a little different."

A flicker of doubt crossed Silver's face, or was that guilt? It was gone before Sora could fully comprehend it. Silver grunted, using a screwdriver to tighten the bolts on his robotic leg.

"Say, what happened," Jim nodded to the robotic prosthetic, "that caused that?"

"You give up a few things," Silver said sadly, "chasing a dream."

"Was it worth it?"

"I'm hoping it is, Jimbo," Silver winked. "I surely am."

They made it to the underbelly of the ship. A pair of doors opened up, revealing the skiff hanger. Silver moved the skiff upward, parking it nicely into the small space. The three of them worked, wordlessly securing the skiff and the solar surfers. Just as all the ropes were tied and skiff hooked steadily in place, the ship banged from side to side.

The skiff rocked back and forth violently, nearly bucking both Sora and Jim off. Silver caught both boys his arms.

"What is going on?"

Jumping out of the skiff and rushing up onto the deck, they felt an intense heat coming from overhead. Sora looked up and saw nothing but fire in the sky.

Dr. Doppler screamed from the quarter deck, pointing his telescope at the red inferno. "Good heavens! The star Pelusa. It's gone supernova!"

Captain Amelia ran to the ship's wheel. "All hands, evasive action!"

The heat of a thousand desserts rained down on the ship. Molten star chunks zipped through space. Donald climbed onto the sails, shooting blizzard magic at the meteors. At the helm, Captain Amelia fought with the wheel, turning the ship away from the falling debris. Locke, Goofy and Sora jumped behind the cannons, blasting any burning rocks that was heading their way.

"Secure all sails!" Mr. Arrow ordered. The crew raced up the masts, pulling the solar sails back.

"All hands, fasten your lifelines," roared the captain.

Jim and Silver ran around, handing out ropes. Every member of the crew tied the rope around their waist. One by one, Jim secured the other ends of the ropes to the main mast, tightening the knots. A shock wave blasted the ship, several crew members were blown off their feet, including Silver.

He flew like a cannon ball over the ship's deck, right toward the edge. Sora and Jim reached out, grabbed Silver's legs and hauled him back onto the ship before he could be flailing behind them like a kite.

"Thanks lads," Silver huffed.

There was another blast. The ship rocked back and forth, the crew sliding from one side of the deck to the other. At the helm, Captain Amelia grit her teeth, using all her strength to hold the helm steady.

"Oh no you don't," she growled, forcing the wheel back to its original position.

Where there was once blinding, orange supernova light, a sudden shadow blanketed the atmosphere.

Dr. Doppler raised his telescope, and gasped. "Captain, the star! It's devolving into a," he gasped, "a black hole."

From their place at the cannons, Sora, Goofy and Locke saw the hot comets being pulled back into the collapsing star. The ship was pulled backward, toward the gaping, black leftovers of the star.

The closer they flew to the hole, the more Sora felt a cold, bone scraping feeling of despair and forgetfulness, almost as though he were being pulled into the realm of darkness. He stood there, watching the black mass get bigger and bigger, feeling a sharp needle work its way into his leg.

A big paw slammed down on his shoulder, waking him up.

"Get a hold of yerself, lad!"

Another shockwave slammed the ship. The only person that didn't completely lose their balance was Captain Amelia.

"Blast these supernova waves. They're so deucedly erratic!"

Dr. Doppler ran onto the quarter deck, and looked down at the rip's radar.

"No captain, the waves are not erratic at all! There'll be another one in precisely fifty point eight seconds, followed by the biggest magilla of them all!"

"Of course! Brilliant, Doctor! We'll ride that last magilla out of here!"

Mr. Arrow rushed up to the helm. "All sails secured, Captain."

"Good man! Now release them immediately!"

Mr. Arrow balked, but did as he was told. "Aye, Captain. You heard her, unfurl those sails!"

Glaring, the crew raced to set the sails free. Sora, Goofy and Locke joined Donald on the main mast, and fumbled with the ropes. Even Mr. Arrow climbed the masts to help undo the sails.

Down below, Captain Amelia barked at Jim.

"Mr. Hawkins! Make sure those lifelines are secured good and tight!"

Jim checked all the ropes and called back. "All lifelines secured, Captain!"

Another wave pounded the ship, sending Sora and Mr. Arrow flying off the mast. Hanging above the black hole with nothing but a single rope to protect them, Sora and Mr. Arrow could do nothing but watch Donald, Goofy and Locke try to pull them back.

Above them, something red slithered behind the sails.

A red claw appeared behind Locke. Sora cried out, but it was too late.

Scroop's claw slammed on the back of Locke's head. Locke swayed, slipping from the sail. Donald and Goofy rushed to pull him back up. With them distracted, Scroop cut Mr. Arrow's lifeline.

"No!" Sora summoned his keyblade, blasted a fire spell behind him to propel himself forward, but he was too far to grab Mr. Arrow and had no choice but to watch, helpless as Mr. Arrow vanished into the black hole.

Donald and Goofy, furious, lunged at Scroop, but the spider creature reached out with his claws, grabbed Donald and Goofy by their shirts, and threw them out into Sora. The three friends crashed into each other and barely had enough time to look back at the ship. Locke, still dizzy, wasn't able to defend himself when Scroop threw him out next.

With the four of them lagging above the ship, Scroop gave each of them a sneer. He cut their lines.

Terror ripped through Sora. The black void pulled at them. Its cold fingers wrapped about Sora's neck, numbing him. He forgot how to scream, how to feel, or think, or stay awake. Vaguely, he felt something burning in his pocket. There was a blast from the black hole, and it slammed into Sora like a giant fist. The last thing he saw before he was blinded by a pink light, was the ship being pushed away by the final wave from the black hole.

* * *

The RLS Legacy sailed away, its sails pushed by the titanic final wave from the black hole. Flying into safer space, the crew cheered, throwing their hats up into the air. At the helm, Dr. Doppler held his chest, his frantic breaths turning into ones of relief and admiration.

"Captain! That was-my goodness-that was the most-"

"Oh tish-tosh." Captain Amelia waved him off. Pausing for a moment before she left the helm, she smiled at him. "Actually, Doctor, your astronomical advice was most helpful."

Dr. Doppler straightened his collar. "W-well, thank you."

Captain Amelia walked to the main mast, waving Silver over. "Congratulations are in order. Your cabin boy did a bang-up job with those lifelines."

Silver turned and gave Jim a proud smile.

Captain Amelia cleared her throat. "All hands accounted for, Mr. Arrow?"

Silence.

"Mr. Arrow?"

Scroop slithered forward, his head down, his teeth clenched in sadness. "I'm afraid Mr. Arrow and the other cabin boys were lost. Their lifelines weren't secure."

For the first time in the entire voyage, Captain Amelia's steadfast and unflappable demeanor vanished. When she took Mr. Arrow's hat from Scroop, her green eyes dimmed.

Then all eyes were on Jim. He raced to the main mast. Five lifelines were missing from their posts. "I checked them all! They were secure. I swear!"

Jim fell to his knees. Around him, everything slowed down. He could still feel the rough edges of the ropes, the sudden stop when he tugged each one, the burning in his palms when he pulled each knot tight. His hands remembered them all being tightened, but his sight did not match.

Somewhere, Captain Amelia began to speak, her voice breaking, but Jim didn't understand her words.

Taking a deep breathe to steady herself, Captain Amelia addressed her crew. "Mr. Arrow was a fine spacer, finer then most of us could ever hope to be." She paused, pushing down a shiver in her throat and setting her face back to its usual stern mask. "But he knew the risks, as do we all. Back to your posts. We carry on."

The crew went back to work.

Jim heard Dr. Doppler approach, saw the old dog's shadow move toward him, pause, and then move away. The night wore on, but Jim couldn't bring himself to go down to the haul and get some rest. He held onto the shrouds, staring up at the sky, hoping to see a familiar face, but there were none.

Then Silver's step-creak gait made him turn around.

"It wasn't your fault you know," Silver began. "Accident's such as these are part of the voyage."

Jim jumped off the shrouds, and walked down to the deck, passing Silver by.

"If it weren't for you, why, half the crew would be spinning in that abyss."

Jim turned around, his teeth clenched, his eyes wide with fury. "Don't you get it? I messed up! Thanks to me, Sora, his friends, Mr. Arrow. They're gone. Okay? And it's all my fault! For two seconds, I thought that maybe I could do something right but now-" Jim covered his eyes, taking in a deep, shaky breathe.

There was a hand on his shoulder. He looked up into Silver's face. The big man's eye was full of compassion.

"Now you listen to me, James Hawkins." He pressed a hand over Jim's heart. "You got the makings of greatness in ya, but you have to take the helm and chart your own course. Stick to it, no matter the squalls." Silver looked toward the sky. "And when the time comes, you get the chance to really test the cut of your sails, and show what you're made of, well, I hope I'm there, catching some of the light coming off ya that day."

Jim threw his arms around Silver's torso. The big man patted his back. "It's all right, Jimbo."

Stepping away and whipping his eyes, Jim let out a tiny thanks. Yet, as he walked away from Silver, his heart felt heavy. No matter what Silver said, even if the lifelines had come undone because of an accident, it didn't change the fact that people were lost. No matter how he thought about it, the truth was that he wasn't ever going to see Sora again.

* * *

The chains holding him in place, the prison that had been his purgatory for countless years, was weakening. There was only one more lock to be released before his cage came undone.

The cloaked figure watched the boy and the king. Even though the boy had conquered his darkness, even though his plans for control had failed, it didn't matter. There was another that was now touched by darkness. Soon he would have everything he needed to finish what he couldn't do so long ago. The only thing was to make sure the shadow man did his part.

* * *

He was stuck in a void of light that was quickly darkening. The ringing in his ears was interrupted by disjoined words.

"-up, please!"

He didn't want to open his eyes. The brightness was already searing through his brain, giving him a headache. The incoming darkness was more soothing, cooler.

"Wake up!"

"Cure spells aren't working!"

The voices were clearer now. The light was almost gone. He felt as though he were forgetting something important.

"Do you think the black hole did something to him?"

Black hole?

Mr. Arrow.

Sora's eyes open and he jerked, sitting up in a flash. The next moment, he was tackled back to the ground. Donald and Goofy squeezed him. Sora and touched his friends' faces. They were real. Breathing out, he hugged them back.

"Don't scare me like that," Goofy sobbed.

"He's okay! He's okay!" Donald chanted.

Someone patted his head. Looking up, Sora spotted Locke. The treasure hunter looked a little worse for wear. There were scratches on his face, but he was still alive and kicking.

After Donald and Goofy released him, Sora looked around. They were no longer in space. In fact, the new world they found themselves was painted entirely by faded shades of orange and brown, almost as though the entire planet had rusted from years of neglect. Sora sat on a cushion of half dry, half rotten vines. Mushroom trees provided shade from above. Forgotten pieces of metal rose up from the dirt like a scrap heap's graveyard. Yellow-green moss covered the copper material.

"Where are we?"

"We don't know," Donald said. "We woke up and we were just here."

Sora looked around and then stared down at his hands.

"Mr. Arrow. He's gone."

"It wasn't your fault, Sora."

Goofy put a hand on Sora's shoulder.

"Yeah! Scroop is he one that cut his life line. And ours! When I get my hands on that spider, I'm going to-" Donald made a strangling motion with his fists.

"But, I couldn't do anything. I couldn't stop it. First the king of Atlantis. Now this. Why can't I protect everyone?"

Donald and Goofy were silent. They opened their mouths several times, but couldn't produce words.

Locke pulled Sora to his feet.

"You're growing up, kid."

"What?"

"I know how you feel, when you try so hard to help people in need. But you can't always save everyone. Believe me, I know. What makes you a hero, what keeps the darkness away, is the fact that you don't stop trying to do the right thing."

Sora whipped his eyes. "You're right. We still have things to do. Like find out where we are, and how we got here."

"Gee, before I blacked out, I remember a light coming out of your pocket, Sora."

"A light?"

Sora reached into his pocket and felt something hot. He pulled it out. It was the green gem Locke had given them as collateral back in Agrabah. The gem glowed and dimmed, pulsing with an inner pink fire.

Locke gasped. "What? How?"

"Say, isn't that the, uh, magisit?"

Locke corrected Goofy. "Magicite."

"Right. But why's it glowing?"

"I-I don't know. I've never seen it do that. But my friend, she could-"

Sora handed the gem back to Locke. "You've proven that you're trustworthy. I don't think I need to hold on to this anymore."

Locke looked at the gem with longing. "Thanks."

"That treasure seems important to you."

Locke put the magicite next to his heart. "When the darkness invaded my home, my friend, Terra, protected me. The darkness overtook her. This gem is all that all that's left of her."

Donald rubbed his arms, a guilty pout on his beak. "You gave us something that precious?"

"I'd hoped that, maybe going to different worlds might trigger something, to change her back." Locke said. "Terra was special. If she wanted to, she could fly and when she did, she had a pink glow about her."

Sora scratched his collarbone. "Wait, I remember a pink light before I passed out. That must have been the magicite. Your friend protected us from being drawn into that black hole."

Locke squeezed the magicite. "Maybe there is hope for her after all."

Goofy waved at the gem. "Thank you, Terra."

The pink fire in the gem flickered and then faded. Locke put the magicite in his pocket.

"Hey, Sora," Donald began, "maybe we can take Locke to a princess of light. Maybe they can help bring Terra back to normal."

"What do you say, Locke? Down to stick with us for a little longer?"

Locke smirked. "I'm always up for an adventure."

* * *

Gadget was the "build if first, then test it" sort. While Professor Drake, Chip and Dale brainstormed and worked on blueprints in the gummi hanger, Gadget preferred to be out and about, making things. And that was how Kairi, Max, Huey, Dewey and Louie found themselves on the edges of Disneytown.

Hauling wooden trollies full of all kinds of materials and tools, they stopped on a wide field of hills and flowers. Gadget jumped off Kairi's shoulder, diving into the materials. She pulled out an oversized remote control, jumped off the trolly, and started pacing in the grass.

"Now I just need to figure out the right coordinates for the test flight and then we can begin the experiment."

Huey, Dewey and Louie fussed about Gadget, listening to her every demand as she began putting something together out of spare parts. It was like watching a surgeon demand tools while they worked. Pretty soon, clinks, clangs and hammering drowned out Gadget's voice as she worked.

While the triplets worked with Gadget, Max checked the perimeter. He came back with two other dog guards. One of them was a tall and thin knight with a mohawk of red hair, and the other was a plump knight who looked around anxiously, his black fur sticking up.

"Are you sure about this, Max?" said the portly guard. "We're supposed to be on guard duty."

Max waved him off. "Relax, PJ. You said it yourself. Nothing happens out in the fields."

"Yeah, take it easy bro-oh," said the mohawk guard, "embrace the chill."

"But we shouldn't leave our posts."

"You're telling me you want to miss this? This could be our chance to see if we can travel between worlds."

The anxious dog looked around and spotted Kairi. Clearing his throat, he stood straight and saluted.

"Ma'am. Sir PJ, at your service."

"Relax Peej, she's with me."

Mohawk guard whistled. He bowed in front of Kairi. "Intros are in order. The name's Bobby Zimmeruski, knight of Disney Castle."

Kairi looked at the two knights. Bobby gave her a wide grin, his cheeks pressing against his round, beady glasses. PJ ducked his head shyly. There was a war hammer attached to PJ's back. Bobby held a spear in his hand.

Kairi reached over and pulled one of Max's swords out of the scabbard at his hip.

"Hey!"

"Nice to meet you guys. What do you say to a quick sparring match until Gadget and the boys are finished setting up the experiment."

Bobby held out his spear. "A little spar-age. Nice." He howled like a wolf.

"Maybe this isn't a good idea," PJ said. "We should be stopping fights, not starting them."

Max ignored PJ. "I'll fight the winner."

While Bobby and Kairi practiced, PJ decided it was better to help Gadget with her tinkering. The dual ended with Kairi knocking Bobby's spear out of his hand.

"Total bum-age. Yo, Maximilian." Bobby stretched out each syllable in Max's name. "She fights like you do."

"With mad skills?"

"No. Cheap."

Max bowed to Kairi. "I have taught you well."

"What?" PJ stomped forward. "You taught her how to use a sword but you gave up teaching me?"

Max shrugged. "Hey, she's a quick learner." Then put his hand on his chin. "Either that or we've spent way longer training in Mary's timeless painting then I thought."

"That didn't answer my question, Max."

Max stammered and then pointed over PJ's shoulder. "Hey, look's like Gadget is done!"

The group gathered around the tiny mouse. Gadget and the ducklings had assembled a mini gummi ship as well as ramp to help the rocket shoot off into the sky.

Huey and Dewey unrolled a set of blueprints and notes on the ground. Gadget walked on top the paper.

"I think I've followed Professor Drake's instructions well enough. Though I did add a few tweaks. I mean who builds a spaceship without a grabby claw."

Gadget rotated and pressed buttons on her remote control. "All right, stand clear of the ramp. Beginning gummi ship piercing test number one. Huey, take notes."

Huey held a notepad and pen. "Ready."

"Ten seconds to launch!"

Kairi crossed her fingers. Gadget counted. The mini gummi ship's thrusters came to life.

Three, two, one.

Gadget slammed her feet on the red button on the remote control. The ship launched, shooting through the air like a firework. They watched as the rocket cut through the clouds, vanishing.

Gadget was glued to her remote control, watching a little blip on the pink radar.

"How's it looking?" asked Huey.

"Still gaining altitude," Gadget said. "It hasn't reached the edge of the world yet. Just a little farther. I hope you're keeping time."

Gadget's remote control exploded. She flew up into the air. Max thrust his hands out and caught her before she started falling. Shaking the soot off her head, Gadget stood, completely fine.

The group stared at the mouse, stunned.

Gadget shrugged. "Oh well, back to the drawing board." She jumped off Max's hands, landing on the blueprints. "Now what could have gone wrong? Maybe it needs better stability? I did follow all of the professor's instructions. Or could it have been my add ons?"

"Um, Gadget," PJ began, "what exactly happened?"

"No big deal really. The test ship just exploded upon reaching the world wall is all."

The triplets quacked. "Exploded?"

"Yep. Into pieces. We're going to need a tougher ship. Or at least a more intricate wall piercing system."

Max and Kairi hung their heads. "Total bum-age."

Bobby nodded. "Right on, my dudes."

Gadget jumped onto Louie's notepad and looked at the data he had written. "Don't look so down. The ship was able to reach the edge of the world. That's pretty good for the first run. Now we just need to test, tweak and keep going until we strike gold."

She looked up at all the defeated faces. "Or are all of you giving up."

"Never!" Max and Kairi said.

"Good. Let's do another test run and then get Huey's data back to the professor."

* * *

_**Jiminy's Journal**_

Dr. Delbert Doppler (First Appeared in Treasure Planet, 2002): Longtime family friend of Jim's mother. Though a bit clumsy, both socially and physically, Doppler is highly knowledgeable about astronomy and cares for Jim deeply. He is not afraid of adventure, though his lack of experience in it makes him contest with Captain Amelia at times.

Peter Pete Jr. (First Appeared in Goof Troop, 1992): A knight at Disney castle and one of Max's best friends. His buddies affectionately call him "PJ" or "Peej." PJ is too honest and nervous to act out, though he still gets dragged along to break the rules whenever Max and Bobby "break" the rules. Still, it's good to have him around to act as the voice of reason.

Robert Zimuruski (First Appeared in A Goofy Movie, 1995): A super chill knight at Disney Castle, Bobby's laid back attitude makes him more agreeable when playing hooky. He likes to hype up his teammates and has no problem getting into all sorts of trouble.

Gadget Hackwrench (First Appeared in Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers, 1990): A cheerful inventor that doesn't let failure stop her from building. She has a naturally curious mind that allows her to easily tinker with all manner of things, from robots to rockets. She helps Chip and Dale in the gummi hanger from time to time, but has agreed to work with Professor Ludvig Von Drake to create a new gummi ship.


	26. Chapter 25: Treasure Planet

**DISCLAIMER**: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy or any of the Disney/Square Enix characters that appear in this work. Please support the original releases.

* * *

**_Chapter 25: Treasure Planet_**

* * *

"This place is fishy." Locke said.

"You feel it too?" asked Sora.

He pulled his shirt away from his chest. Of course a planet with vegetation that smelled like a piece of moldy, old bread, would have a lot of humidity. It seeped under his skin, giving him tingling sensations that no amount of scratching would fix. What was weird, was the lingering feeling that he had felt this familiar itch before. But when?

Locke snapped his fingers. "Oh, I can feel it, all right."

He banged his daggers against a copper tusk that stuck out from the dirt. The vibration echoed from the scrap and down into the ground. Getting on knees, Locke stabbed his daggers into the floor and dug. There was a metal _tink_. He pulled up a layer of moss and dirt, revealing a metal saucer underneath. Locke lifted the lid, and a large tube appeared below it. Coils and wiring lined the tube, spiraling down into a black abyss, as though the tube stretched all the way down to the center of the planet.

"No doubt about it." Locke looked around. "Uninhabited area, ruins, secret, forgotten machinery. I smell treasure."

"Wait a minute, are we on Treasure Planet?"

Donald jumped up in Sora's face. "What are you talking about?"

"Jim told me about it." Sora explained about Jim's map and Captain Flint's treasure. He could have sworn he saw dollar signs in Donald's eyes.

"A whole planet full of treasure! Where should we start digging?"

While Donald began clawing at the floor, Goofy pointed to the sky.

Up above, the RLS Legacy floated down from space. The ship was descending fast, the atmosphere burning around it. Laser light and cannon fire glittered under the rudder. One of the sails hosted a black flag with a skull and crossbones.

Pirates.

A skiff darted away from the ship. An explosion of golden smoke set the skiff's sail on fire. The boat shot across the sky like a blazing missile. Racing after it, Locke and the trio nearly fell over when the ground shook under their feet. Bursting through podlike, green bushes, the party raised their weapons, but then stopped at the sight in front of them.

The skiff lay on its side, its back end completely singed, the sail ripped off. The sour smell of melting metal hung over the wreckage. Dr. Doppler carried an injured, unconscious Captain Amelia away from the crash. Jim leaned against the underbelly of the boat, gasping.

Donald rushed to Captain Amelia and raised his staff. The cure spell eased the scrapes and bruises off her face, but she didn't wake. Meanwhile, Sora knelt besides Jim, casting a few healing spells of his own. The magic eased Jim's heavy breathing, his eyes opening wide to stare at Sora.

"No way. Am I dreaming?"

He tugged on Sora's hair.

"Hey, watch it!"

Jim pulled his hand back. "You're okay? How? You got sucked into a black hole!"

"It'll take more then a space vacuum to get rid of me."

The skiff crackled.

Locke reached froward, grabbed Jim's arms, and hauled him off his feet.

"Move it, kid!"

Sora and Jim sprinted. Goofy got between Dr. Doppler and the boat, raising his shield. He took the impact, allowing Donald, Doppler and Captain Amelia to get to safety. The blast sent Goofy flying, and his head dug a nice, long trail through the dirt. Lucky for him, Donald and Sora were there in seconds to cast healing magic.

He sat up, shaking his head. "Thanks fellars. Oh, and you're going to need these." Digging into his pocket,Goofy held up a pair of ethers.

Sora chugged down the contents of the glass, whipped his mouth and then faced Jim.

"What happened after the supernova? Where's Silver and the rest of the crew?"

Jim's jaw tightened. "Silver is a traitor. The entire crew were his pirates."

It felt like someone had dunked Sora's head into a tub full of ice. The skin crawling feeling he had felt earlier was back, except now Sora wasn't just scratching, he was rubbing his arms so roughly that the flesh began to burn.

"Silver? But," Sora's fingernails scratched deep into his skin. "What about all that stuff he did for us? For you? All that was fake?"

"Of course it was." Jim spat.

"There has to be a reason."

"All he cares about is Flint's treasure!"

Jim kicked a rock with so much venom that it shot out toward a tree, piercing the bark. Green sap oozed from the tree's wound.

"I can't believe I was actually stupid enough to think he cared about me!"

Locke put a finger to his lips, pointing upward. The Legacy was descending.

"We need a more defensible position," groaned Captain Amelia, finally coming to.

"You're in no condition to give orders." Dr. Doppler said.

Amelia struggled out of Dr. Doppler's arms. "Slight bruising is all. Cup of tea and I'll be right as rain." Yet just as she stood on her feet, she keeled over. Doppler caught her before she hit the ground.

"The Captain is going to need more healing magic," Donald said.

"And we're going to need cover, fellers. Looks like being body guards is our jobs."

"You two take the back," said Locke, "I'll keep an eye out from the front. Let's move."

Goofy and Donald defended Doppler and Amelia in the center while Locke led the way. In the back of their diamond shaped formation, Sora and Jim walked side by side, keyblade and laser pistol in hand. Slowly, silently, they moved. Sora had to switch the hands holding his keyblade every so often so he could scratch his arms. He was starting to wonder if he was allergic to the planet, but that didn't explain the strange coldness he felt in his heart. Or was that just a different kind of allergy?

He looked at Jim out of the corner of his eye. The boy's jaw was tight, yet there was a glint of sadness in his eyes.

"I'm so glad you're okay," Jim said. "The supernova-and the lifelines, I-"

"It wasn't your fault." Sora scowled. "It was-"

"Scroop. I know." Jim clenched his teeth.

"Can you tell me what happened?"

Jim took a deep breathe. Quietly, he explained.

* * *

Jim couldn't sleep. Even after Silver's kind words, he still couldn't shake the images of Mr. Arrow and Sora vanishing into the black hole. He stayed on the deck until only the watchman in the crow's nest was awake.

No one blamed Jim, and somehow that only made him feel worse. He stood by the mast, watching the sky. A shadow moved overhead. Scroop watched him from the sails above.

"Lost something, cabin boy?"

Snarling, Jim went down to the crew's sleeping quarters. He tossed and turned in his hammock. Just when he had fallen asleep, his eyes shot open the next minute. Morning light crept through the dimness of the sleeping area, shining right into his eyes. Jim rolled out of bed and groggily walked to the kitchens. Reaching to get a purp to munch on, he was so tired that he fell right into the barrel.

Then he heard whispers. Turning so that he right side up, Jim peeked through a tiny hole in the barrel, into the dark shadows of kitchen.

"...sick of all this waiting," a crew member whispered.

"There's only three of them left. We are wanting to move," said another.

"We don't move till we got the treasure in hand."

Jim was instantly awake, his heart slamming against his ribcage. Silver?

Though dark, he was able to make out the metallic shine of Silver's cybernetics. Then he saw the sharp edges of Scroop's claw. The spider-psycho inched closer to Silver, a sneer in his voice.

"I say we throw the rest of them off the ship, take the map and keep sailing. No one would know."

"I say what's to say." Silver's deep whisper had an edge of warning in it. "Disobey my orders again, like that stunt you pulled with Mr. Arrow and the others, and so help me, you'll be joining them."

Barbed wires squeezed Jim's heart. The moisture drained from his mouth as he breathed in fast. Mr. Arrow, Sora and his friends, it had been Scroop's all along? And Silver-

"Strong talk, but I know otherwise."

Scroop's mocking laughter made pins and needles rise up in Jim's neck.

"You got something to say, Scroop?"

"It's that boy."

Jim clenched his teeth.

"Methinks you have a soft spot for him. Haven't see the light shine in your eye like that except when talking about Flint's treasure, but now." Scroop's chuckle felt more like a growl. "'You got the makings of greatness in ya.'"

Silver reached out and clamped down on Scroop's jaw. "I only told the little whelp what he wanted to hear to keep him off our scent."

The barbed wires around Jim's heart tightened, burning.

"I ain't gone soft. Mark me, the only thing I care about is Flint's trove!"

Jim slumped in the barrel, unable to move, or think. Everything had been a lie. He mattered less to Silver then he had mattered to his father. And worse, Sora, Mr. Arrow and his friends had paid the price. All for what? Some stupid treasure?

Scroop pulled away from Silver, and Jim swore he saw the brightness in the spider's eye dim. For a moment, he thought he saw a purple flash in Scroop's pupils, but after Scroop blinked, his eyes were as bright as ever.

"Careful 'Captain.' One wouldn't want their greed to consume them."

"Aye, but one would also be keen on not upsettin' their superior."

The two men glared at each other.

There was a call from up on deck.

"LAND HO!"

The pirates dashed out of the kitchens. Jim got out of the barrel and ran up the steps, but stopped at the top. Silver's cybernetic leg was on the stair in right front of him. The big man's eyes widened in surprise, but then wrinkles deepened around his mouth and forehead.

"Playing games are we? Jimbo?"

Silver stalked Jim, pushing him back down into shadows of the kitchen.

"Yeah," Jim said, looking around. There was a kitchen knife on the table to his left. "I'm playing games."

"Oh," said Silver, hiding his hands behind his back. "I was never very good at games."

"Me too!" Jim reached out, grabbed the knife, and stabbed it into Silver's cybernetic leg. The metal squealed, gas exploding out of the hole. Silver grunted, falling over, his hand covering the injury under his metal knee.

Jim raced out of the kitchens, ignoring the confused looks of the pirates as he passed. He barged into the captain's quarters, slamming the door behind him. Dr. Doppler and Amelia rose from their seats.

"Jim? What's the matter?"

"Mr. Hawkins, what is the meaning of-"

"They're pirates," Jim gasped. "The entire crew! It's mutiny!"

Amelia reached into the cupboard and pulled out a pair of laser pistols. "Pirates? On my ship? I will see that they all hang!" She threw one of the pistols at Jim and then the other at Doppler. "Cover us Doctor, Mr. Hawkins, we're going to escape with the longboats."

* * *

"Thanks to the captain, we were able to escape the ship." Jim pulled out a copper sphere from his pocket. Lines, circles and indiscernible writing were carved into the surfaces of the sphere. "At least I got the map out."

Sora closed his eyes. The chill he felt had moved down through his stomach and into his legs. So Silver was no different than Rourke: another leader using his crew to steal from good people. If he gave in to the darkness of his greed, Sora would have to fight him.

Like Riku.

Sora swallowed. Did darkness have that effect? Did those that gave in to it get so caught up in whatever goal they had to achieve that they stopped caring about the people around them? He rubbed his arm again. Stupid, allergy. Stupid darkness. Stupid Silver.

"Silver knew that Scroop was the one that cut Mr. Arrow's lifeline?"

"Yes." Jim hissed.

"And he let Scroop get away with doing that? That mechanical moron!"

"Moron is right," Jim spat. "I can't believe I trusted him. "

Sora seethed. One thing was for sure. If he saw Silver again, he was going to deck him right in his big, fat nose. For Jim's sake. Now if only he could stop itching.

Something sliced into his leg. Sora fell over. On the ground, he stared at his calf. It was the spot where the heartless plant had caught him. Lifting his pant leg, he searched for an injury, but there was nothing. Yet he felt the heartless' thorny, phantom vine cutting into his bones.

"Are you all right?" Jim reached down to help him up.

Sora couldn't take Jim's hand. His arm didn't move.

"What's wrong?"

Sora's neck and face blazed, his face sweating.

"W-what did that heartless do me?"

There was a popping noise, and then ten dark ball heartless flew right over Dr. Doppler's head. Goofy blocked them with his shield, forcing the heartless up into the air, where they was fried a second later from Locke's thunder spell. The heartless twitched under the lightning, exploding into purple dust, but when the debris cleared, there were twenty identical heartless floating above.

Jim fired a laser beam and popped one of the heartless, only to have two more appear in its place. The heartless swooped down, their frayed tentacles buzzing with lightning, reaching out like electric beestings ready to poke someone's eye out. Sora, reacting, threw his keyblade when one of them came close enough to singe his eyebrows. It popped like a spark plug.

More heartless appeared. The party ducked as the swarm came down on them. The heartless melted together, turning into a nebula of purple, black and yellow lightning. With only one working arm and legs that couldn't move, Sora was helpless when a darkball came up behind him and bit into his shoulder. Jim shot the creature point blank, but it was too late.

A new sensation burrowed its way into Sora's shoulder. It spread across his back, his chest, freezing his bones. Around him, the party fought against the swarm. Donald and Goofy, too busy protecting Doppler and Amelia, fell back, and it was up to Locke, and Jim to provide cover.

Locke blasted the swarm with fire spells, creating massive holes in the dark cloud overhead. Seconds later, the darkball heartless multiplied. Worse yet, on the ground, shadow and neoshadow heartless rose up. They closed in, their yellow eyes swarming together, looking like a sky full of hungry, sinister stars. Jim and Locke stood, back to back, watching the cloud of heartless overhead spark with thunder.

Jim growled. "What's with these things? We get rid of one and then ten appear in their place."

Sora could barely keep himself sitting. He slumped to the side.

Locke's hands grasped his shoulders, steadying him.

"What's wrong?"

"I-I don't know."

Sora casted a healing spell on himself, but it did nothing to stop the burning on his skin, the freezing in his bones, or the numbness in his legs. The fever pounded on his head, mixing with Sora's rising panic, making him shake all over. His legs were seconds away from turning into jelly.

"Kid! Come on, stay awake."

Locke cursed. He pulled Sora over his back.

Leaning his cheek on Locke's shoulder, Sora wasn't sure if the buzzing he felt was from the heartless or from deep within him. His eyes opened and closed, his world fading in and out, dark, light, dark, light...

_ The door will open soon. _

The words echoed from deep within, but Sora couldn't understand them.

_ The darkness is close. It is your heart it really wants. _

The burning in his body was now clawing at his eyes.

_ Don't be afraid. _

Sora lost consciousness.

* * *

Jim's arms flopped to his sides. He stared at Sora's grey face.

"Is he-"

"No." Locke said. "He's just passed out."

"Need I remind you," Dr. Doppler shouted, "that we have bigger problems right now?"

The heartless dived down like missiles at the party. Jim and Locke ducked away from the attacks, firing and slicing. Fighting with only one dagger, and the extra weight on his back, slowed Locke down. A heartless flew at his neck, its mouth open wide. The heartless burst, revealing Jim right behind where it had been, still holding his smoking pistol.

"Nice shot," Locke said.

"Thanks, but it's not going to do any good if this keeps up."

Donald jumped up onto Goofy's shoulders, green energy swirling at the end of his staff.

"Aeroga!"

A protective whirlwind surrounded the party. Locke and Jim watched the heartless banging against the wind sphere.

"I can't keep this up forever," Donald warned.

"We need attacks that can destroy large groups of them." Doppler said.

"What do you suggest?" Jim asked.

"If only Sora were awake. Then, me, him and Donald could combine our strength and get rid of these heartless together."

"Well, he's out of commission, so we're just going to have to do it," Locke said.

"But we've never combined our powers without Sora."

Just then, Sora reached out, his keyblade appearing over Locke's shoulder.

"I can do it," Sora croaked. His keyblade trembled.

Jim grabbed the end of the keyblade, steadying it. "Take it easy."

"What? You think I can't handle this? I've faced bigger heartless for breakfast."

Jim rolled his eyes, but the corners of his mouth lifted. "Show off. Okay, How can we help?"

"We need something that can make magnify light," Sora rasped.

Dr. Doppler dug into his shirt and pulled out a pocket telescope. "This should do it."

He removed the lens and tossed it to Jim. Holding the lens in front of the keyblade, Jim put his shoulder under Sora's arm, holding his keyblade steady. Donald and Goofy leaned against Sora, giving him their support. Locke lifted Sora up.

Concentrating, Sora's heart reached out toward his friends. Hope, trust, and determination, channeled into his keyblade, but he couldn't hold the gathered power. Like a spark that kept getting fanned away by the wind, Sora wasn't able to get the fire going. The keyblade burned, searing into Sora's palm. He grit his teeth, forcing the light to gather at the end of the weapon. A small flicker lit up, and then was blown out. The keyblade slipped from his hand. His head slumped against Locke's shoulder.

The aeroga spell broke. The heartless rained down upon them. Locke, Goofy, Jim, and Donald attacked, but one by one, the heartless thrashed them, and soon only Dr. Doppler was standing, helpless to defend himself or the captain. The heartless closed in.

Pow.

Dr. Doppler fell, the captain tumbling out of his arms. The air above him shook with a shockwave that slammed him flat against the ground.

Pow!

Another blast shot a hole through the heartless sky. The creatures moved apart, fire burning their antennae.

Pow! Pow! Pow!

The legacy appeared through the holes in the heartless. The side of the ship smoked as the cannons fired. Angry roars reached Dr. Doppler's ears. The pirates rushed into the dark cloud, attacking the shadow heartless on the ground while the cannons continued to roar from above. The shadows vanished, completely obliterated by the pirates.

Silver, Scroop and the other pirates surrounded the exhausted party. Before he could blink, Doppler was tied up with the others. Only Jim was spared the ropes and gags. Silver raised his hands, walking toward the boy.

"It doesn't have to be this way lad. Just give me the map, and I'll let you and yer friends go."

Jim cast a look at Doppler and Amelia. Doppler nodded, but Amelia shook her head, ever steadfast. Donald, Locke and Goofy had enough strength to wriggle, but not to escape their bonds. And Sora, bound and tied, gasping in his restraints, was still unconscious. They stood no chance.

Jim reached into his pocket, took out the spherical map and threw it at Silver.

"Thank you, Jimbo."

Silver twisted the sphere as though he were trying to open a jar. Turning his hand into a claw, he clamped down tight on the map, but the sphere wouldn't turn. Reddening with frustration, Silver shoved the map back at Jim.

"Open it."

Without taking his eyes off Silver, Jim pressed the map's hidden switches, twisting the sphere and turning the inner cogs. The map clicked. A green line appeared in the air, pointing through the dried forest and miles and miles further into the planet. Silver and the pirates cheered and then glared at Jim the next second. The green light had vanished.

Jim met their eyes without fear. "You want the map, you have to take me too."

"Have it your way Jimbo."

"Captain," said the big, burly pirate with four arms. "What should we do about these ones?" He stomped around Sora, Donald, Goofy, Locke, Doppler and Amelia.

"Bring the boy as collateral."

The burly pirate threw Sora over his shoulder.

"Take the rest of 'em to the ship's brig. Everyone else, we've got treasure to find!"

* * *

Swaying woke Sora. His head pounded like a thousand nails were being hammered into his brain. Watching the ground move underneath him only made his stomach turn harder. His body was bent in such a way that all of his muscles and joints felt stiff, yet it was the insufferable, inescapable itching that frustrated him the most.

A red claw appeared in front of his eyes. Grabbing his chin, the claw pushed his face up. Scroop sneered at him.

"Finally up, cabin boy?"

Sora looked around. Marching silently next to Silver, a look of concentration on his frown, Jim held the map up, following a green laser line through the rusty hills of the planet. Ten more pirates kept pace with Silver. Sora's eyes met Jim's, and the flash of concern, fear, and determination in Jim's gaze told Sora all he needed to know. If he had had the strength to struggle, Sora would have given Scroop and Silver a healthy dose of snark, but all he could do was let his head fall when Scroop pulled his claw away from his chin.

"You'll get a nice look at the treasure before I send the pair of you to meet Mr. Arrow."

Sora watched the spider psycho's legs skitter away from him. He faded in and out between being conscious and burning up, and complete nothingness. He was shocked awake when the burly, four armed pirate dropped him hard onto the ground.

"There's nothing," someone shouted.

Barely able to lift his head, Sora noticed that they were standing on a cliff that overlooked a vast valley of empty, dried out plains. The map's green arrow vanished the moment if passed over the side of the cliff.

"We never should have listened to this boy!"

The no armed, two legged pirate pushed Jim over, making him fall dangerously close to the edge. Jim stared at the ground. He dusted off the dirt with his hands, revealing a spherical hole in the metal floor beneath him. Jim slammed the treasure map into the hole. The moment the map clicked into place, there was a whirling sound. Wind burst from the ground, making everyone shield their eyes. Then a massive triangle of light appeared in the air right in front of the edge of the cliff. At the same time, Sora felt all the heat in his body being replaced by ice. The spot on his leg, where the flower heartless had bitten him, was now completely numb. Only the voice in his heart soothed him.

_Don't be afraid. _

"What is this?" Silver demanded.

The image of cosmic, swirling blue, gas clouds appeared within the triangle.

"The Lagoon Nebula? But that's halfway across the galaxy," said Silver.

"It's a portal," Jim realized.

Just above the groove where the map was placed, there was a floating, green sphere of light. Stars and planets glowed within it. Jim pressed one of the planets. The triangle closed and opened, like a book. Except this time, it was on a completely different page. A bustling town appeared in the portal.

"That's Montressor space port." Jim marveled, his eyes wide. "That's how Captain Flint did it. He used this portal to roam the universe stealing treasure."

"But where did he stash it all?"

Silver shoved Jim aside, pressing all the stars and planets, opening the door on a frozen world, a fiery galaxy, a windy desert, and on and on. Each time the door opened and closed, Sora lost feeling in another part of his body.

_Don't forget. _

"Where is that treasure?" Silver pressed a switch that looked much like a keyhole.

The portal opened to a world of nothing. A deep, dark, bottomless chasm with no horizon, no time, and no end, just an endless sea of blackness was on the other side. Stale air floated out of the portal and into Sora's nose, reminding him of a horrible place, filled with separation, confusion, loss, and Ansem's cruel laughter.

_You hold the mightiest weapon of all. _

Terror ripped through Sora. "No! Jim! Close that door, quick!"

A claw reached over Sora's head, hooked on the front of his shirt and lifted him up.

"What's the matter, cabin boy? Frightened of that part of the universe?"

Scroop walked toward the portal.

Jim lunged forward but was stopped by a hand on his chest. Silver pointed his cybernetic sword at Scroop. "Let him go."

"Interesting," Scroop half sung, half hissed. "You have a softness for this one too?"

Scroop stretched out his arm, dangling Sora over the abyss below. His body numb from the neck down, only the panicked beating of his heart reminded Sora to stay awake. The empty world around him pulsed. It was hungry, more then ready to swallow the world of light that had so graciously opened within it. Sora felt something breathing on the back of his neck. He looked around, trying to spot the invisible heartless, but there was nothing, just the darkness creeping into his brain. Something moved below. A cloaked figure, like a wrath from his nightmares, was looking at Sora through the void.

_ Set me free._

Scroop shook Sora, snapping the boy's attention back to him. He opened his claw, slowly. One more inch and Sora would fall. Jim and Silver flinched. With strength he didn't know he had, Sora grabbed onto Scroop's arm and held on.

Scroop looked into Silver's face. "There was once a time you were ruthless, and now you pick up lost pups like a heartbroken mother. Me thinks it's time for a new captain to lead the crew."

"You don't know what you're doing," Sora begged. "This world will destroy everything! Please, close it, Jim!"

"But you'll be trapped inside!"

"Release him. That's an order, Scroop!"

"Happily."

Scroop claw opened wide. Sora fell.

Jim threw himself onto the dirt, his hand clamping hard on Sora's wrist. Above him, Scroop's claws flashed down toward Jim's back. A metal fist slammed into Scroop's face, and he fell over the edge of the cliff and into the darkness below.

Sora's weight pulled Jim downward. Slowly, he slipped further and further for the edge but he refused to let go. Silver appeared over Jim's head.

"Jim! Behind you!"

Silver reached down, grabbed Jim's waist and lifted both him and Sora out. The boys crashed onto Treasure Planet's dusty floor. Silver pressed another button on the green sphere and the portal to the realm of darkness closed. A keyhole appeared before the portal. His arm trembling, Sora lifted his keyblade and locked it.

The moment the lock clicked shut, Sora breathed in deep. The weight on his chest eased, the tingles in his body slowly fading. Jim pulled Sora's arm over his shoulder, helping him stand.

"You okay?"

"Just give me a minute."

Sora rotated his ankles and bend his knees. While he slowly got used to moving again, the pirates shouted excitedly. The portal that Silver had opened, gleamed. A golden light shined in Sora's eyes. Silver and the pirates roared, running into the portal. Looking into the triangle, Sora's jaw dropped. A miniature planet, every inch of it covered in gold, chests, and jewels, floated within the portal. There was enough loot to put the Cave of Wonders to shame. If Donald were there, he would have had a heart attack.

Sora leaned away from Jim. Though he wobbled, he was able to stand. The numbness from his injured leg had faded.

"I'm okay." Sora turned toward the portal. "I can't believe there was a door to the realm of darkness here of all places."

"What are you talking about?"

Sora shook his head. "Never mind. Hey, what you did back there, thank you."

Jim patted Sora's shoulder. "Now the score's three to zero."

"Excuse me?"

"I saved you three times. I'm ahead."

"Since when?"

"When we rescued you from that evil ship, just now, and when I shot that flower monster that caught your leg."

"No way. We're tied. I cured you, twice, and protected you back when we were getting the plasma pods."

Jim shrugged. "All right you win. Let's just grab some treasure and get out of here."

Sora followed Jim through the portal. Inside, the sour smell of metal dust and musky wood made him sneeze. His shoes slid over doubloons, gold bars, crystals, all kinds of jewelry, and pearls the size of basketballs. The spherical cave they stood in was made out of thick sheets of copper and wiring. Massive, wired tubes pointed out of the ceiling like makeshift stalactites.

"It's just like the tunnel that Locke found." Sora turned to Jim. "You don't think-"

"That we're standing on the core of Treasure Planet? After everything I've seen today, I can't say I'm surprised. Look there!"

On a golden hill, sat a small, old, forgotten pirate ship with torn, red sails. Its wood was scratched, the sails leaning to one side, burn marks on its hull. Heaps of jewels and coins were piled up on the deck.

"That's our ticket out of here. Come on."

They raced to the ship, climbed onto the deck and froze. Near the stern, a skeleton was slumped in a throne-like chair. The rags of a brown tailcoat and trousers hung off the grey bones like a scarecrow. The long, narrow skull had six slit sockets where the eyes should have been. The jaw was clenched tight with four, long, thick fangs and incisors that looked like sharpened fingernails. An old captain's hat sat askew on skeleton's cranium.

"Captain Flint?" Jim whispered. "I can't believe-Ah!"

An indigo shadow buzzed by Jim's temple. Then something twitched in the corner of his eye. Slowly, Sora and Jim faced Captain Flint's corpse. Floating right next to the skull, was a ball of eyes. The pupils rotated in their sockets, frayed tentacles sticking out from between each eye like a demonic morning star.

The creature phased through Captain Flint's ribcage. The hollow space inside the skeleton lit up with darkness. The eye sockets lit up with a yellow glare. Captain Flint stood from the chair, his bones ticking as he slowly took steps forward.

Jim fired a shot right between Captain Flint's eyes. The skull fell backward with a crack. Then the head bounced back and rotated, the neck bones snapping back into place.

Jim winced. "What is this? Some kind of zombie?"

"No, a heartless! I knew I felt something pass by me when Scroop was holding me over the realm of darkness!"

A sword of darkness stretched out of Captain Flint's hand. Wide, bloodshot eyes lined the blunt edge of the sword. Flint sliced through the air like a sawblade, separating Sora and Jim as the boys jumped to avoid getting cut in half. With only bones to carry, Flint's corpse flashed over the deck, tearing up the wood like a cutting board as sword blurred with furious slashes. Jim had only seconds to fire, but his shot went right through Flint's torso.

Sora dashed forward, ready to attack it from behind, but then the sword's eyes swiveled, noticing him. In seconds, the sword sliced through the air so fast that it created a sharp, protective sphere around Captain Flint. Sora grit his teeth, skidding to a stop before he could be ripped to pieces. Keeping his distance, he threw fire, ice, and lightning spells at the skeleton, but it was attacking the air. No effect.

Captain Flint stalked toward Sora but stopped when something blasted him on the back of his skull. Turning, Flint's arm reached out, grabbed Jim by the neck and slammed him against the side of the ship. Sora rushed forward to help, but, without turning to look, Captain Flint's arm swung the sword. The tip of the blade nearly sliced through Sora's collar bone. He stopped so fast that he lost his balance and fell. With Sora on the ground, there was nothing to stop Flint from raising his blade and aiming it at Jim's neck.

The sword swung down.

From underneath the ship, a blast hit the blade on its side, pushing it away from Jim's neck. A cybernetic arm reached out, and grabbed the blade.

"Get yer hands off him, ya forsaken carcass!"

The arm pulled the sword away from Jim and then pulled the bony hand away from the boy's neck. Then it flung Flint's skeleton away like a rag doll. Jim crumbled onto the deck, his eyes wide.

Silver pulled himself onto the ship's deck.

"You all right Jimbo?"

Jim patted his neck. "I'm fine. What you doing here?"

"Saw that you were in trouble, and I, well," Silver cleared his throat.

Sora stood. "And this ship, with all the treasure on it had nothing to do with it?"

Silver turned to Sora with an easy going smile, but then his humor was completely erased by horror.

"Lad! Look out!"

Sora turned to look over his shoulder and the only thing he saw was flash of red eyes. Something soft and blue crashed into him, knocking him down to the floor. The red eyed blade stabbed into the deck. Sora's shoulder and side throbbed from the fall, but otherwise, he was fine. He stared at the tip of the Flint's weapon at his feet and then looked up to see Locke standing over him.

A skiff flew over right over Captain Flint's head, pushing him face first into the deck. Crashing onto the ship, Donald and Goofy jumped off the skiff. Seeing Silver standing next to Jim, Donald and Goofy aimed their weapons at him.

Silver held up his hands. "I'm on yer side lads!" He pointed to Captain Flint. "We've got bigger enemies to go after."

Before anyone could move, the entire cavern vibrated, and then a quake forced everyone to their knees. The gold underneath the ship shifted like a wave at sea before a storm. One of the massive coils on the ceiling swayed back and forth.

Donald was the first one back on his feet. "What's going on?"

Locke looked over the edge of the ship and into the gold. "Most likely a booby trap. I mean, if I were a famous pirate legend and I went down with my treasures, I wouldn't want anyone else to find it."

"And just what are ya insinuating with that logic, Mr. Cole."

Locke shrugged. "Well this isn't a cave, it's a planet, so that that would mean..."

"Out with it."

"Planet's going to blow up."

Donald bit his fingertips. "I'm sorry, but did you just say the _planet_ is going to blow?"

"Yes."

"HOW ARE YOU SO CALM?"

"It's pretty standard for treasure hunting."

Donald's face reddened, but didn't burn nearly as hot as the blasts that erupted on the ceiling, separating the massive metal pipes from their base. The pipes stabbed through the gold and into the core of the planet. Blazing geysers of violet magma erupted out of the gold, and sawed through it. The treasure slide like a waterfall into the fissures, vanishing into the white, hot, planet's core. Whatever pirate that had still been hanging around, raced toward the portal.

Goofy waved everyone over to the skiff. "We have to get out of here!"

Silver roared, watching the gold slip away, revealing the fractured metal core of the planet underneath. "We have to fix this ship! Ride it with the loot out of here!"

Both Sora and Jim opened their mouths, but never got the change to scream at Silver. A beam burst out from under the haul of the ship, slicing it in half, making it bend downward, pointing into the fissure underneath. Locke and Sora stabbed their weapons into the ship to keep from falling in. Donald and Goofy grabbed Locked and Sora's legs. On the other side of the ship, Jim slipped, grabbing onto the splintered planks of the deck, his feet dangling over the fiery inferno below. Silver grabbed a treasure chest before it could slide off. His other hand held onto the railing of the ship.

In the midst of it all, Captain Flint stood up from under the skiff and wobbled toward Jim. Sora watched, helpless as Silver was too distracted by the treasure to even try to pull Jim up. The boy's fingers were slipping from the wood, and with Sora's hands gripping his keyblade to keep himself and Donald from falling into the raging fire below, there was nothing he could do but scream.

Silver looked up at Sora's cry and caught sight of Flint standing over Jim. The corpse raised its sword. Each of the eyes swiveled, locking onto Jim. The sword swung down.

"Blast me for a fool! Reach lad! "

Silver let go of the chest, cringing is it slid down the wood and into the chasm below. He leaned over the fissure, grabbed Jim's hand and pulled him away just as the Captain Flint's sword came down.

Sora hollered. "Yes!"

But Silver was not done. With Jim safe, he reached over, and grabbed Captain Flint by the neck. The heartless sword tried to cut Silver's arm, but it did little damage to his cybernetic hand. Silver threw Flint off the ship and out into a nearby laser beam, where Flint's remains and the heartless were vaporized into nothing.

Jim held on to the ship's railing, his wide open mouth changing into a smile.

"Silver, you just-"

"Gave up a lifelong obsession," Silver whipped his eye. "I'll get over it."

Silver reached over and grabbed the skiff. It was hanging over the fissure, seconds away from tipping into it. Jumping into the skiff with Jim, Silver moved under Locke and the trio. They slid into the skiff and held on. They sailed, weaving through the plasma lasers that burst up from the core. Up ahead, a swarm of darkball heartless appeared right outside the portal.

Donald fumed. "You have the worst timing! Firaga!"

Sora, Locke, and Jim joined Donald, firing the heartless one by one, but, like before, every time one of them went down, ten more appeared in their place. The skiff was only a few feet away from the heartless when-

"Chew on this, you puss filled boils!"

The RLS Legacy burst through the swarm. Captain Amelia balanced on the figurehead of the ship, firing, with perfect precision, with her laser rifle. She blasted a hole through the swarm.

"Doctor! A little further, we've almost got them!"

"Aye Captain," came Dr. Doppler's reply from the helm.

The ship rammed forward, piercing through the swarm. Amelia provided cover fire while Silver got the skiff close the the deck. Jumping off, the trio joined Amelia, while Jim, Locke and Silver helped Doppler at the helm. Together they reversed the ship, but as they sailed over the planet, more and more magma and fire burst through the rusted surface. A hot comet hit the underside of the ship, breaking off several of the thrusters.

Silver grit his teeth. "We're firing at only thirty percent!"

Doppler gave Amelia a defeated look. "We can't clear the planet's explosion at this speed."

Jim ran into the ship and came back up with his solar sailor. "Yes we can! Doppler, turn the ship around. We're going through that portal."

"Are you crazy! Need I remind you that there are all manner of creatures in the way _and_ you want to fly us into an inferno of doom?"

"Yes, but I'm going to open a different door before we go through." Jim jumped on his solar sailor. "I just need cover!"

"Leave that to us," said Sora. Behind him, Donald, Goofy and Locke nodded.

"Captain, I really don't think-"

"Listen to the boy!" Silver lifted the solar sailor over the ship's railing, helping Jim up onto it.

"Whatever happens," Jim urged, "keep this ship heading for the portal."

Silver reached out and put his hand on Jim's shoulder. He gave the boy a pained look. Jim nodded at Silver, squeezing his hand. Once he let Jim go, Silver took a steadying breath and then ran to one of the cannons.

"Doctor, head us back to the portal," Captain Amelia ordered.

Doppler bit his lip, but turned the ship's wheel, chasing after Jim.

Jim flew like a bullet, weaving through explosions and laser fire. All around him, hot metal and heartless attacked, but still he kept going. From the mast, Sora, and Donald fired magic at the heartless, keeping them away from Jim. Meanwhile, Silver and Locke used the cannons to blast away the planet's debris before it could hit the ship. At her spot on the figurehead, Captain Amelia's sharpshooter skills kept the heartless at bay even though the ship lagged several yards behind Jim. They were almost at the portal, but a heartless caught the back of Jim's solar surfer, turning off the thruster.

Sora forgot to breathe as Jim fell. He jumped off the mast, leaned over the side of the ship, and would have fallen off if Donald and Goofy hadn't grabbed his legs. He watched Jim fall below. Gritting his teeth, Sora pointed his keyblade at Jim and concentrated.

"Firaga!"

The spell shot down below, but Sora couldn't see Jim anymore.

Then a speck appeared from the fissure. Jim shot upward, flew straight toward the green sphere, and pressed a button to change the portal. The gateway changed, the ship passed through. Sora raced to the stern, aimed his keyblade at the portal and locked it. The triangle closed, trapping the heartless on the other side with the exploding planet.

Jim flew around the ship, shouting, throwing his hands up in the air. Silver clapped, and waved his hat at the boy. When Jim touched down on the deck, Silver, the trio, and Locke lifted him up in the air. Only when Captain Amelia cleared her throat did they put him down.

"Unorthodox but ludicrously effective, Mr. Hawkins. I'd be proud to recommend you to the interstellar academy. They could use a man like you."

It turned out Silver had been right all along. Jim really did have greatness in him.

* * *

The crescent moon that the Legacy sailed toward wasn't a moon at all, but a port. Sora's jaw dropped when he noticed that the surface of the crescent was not smooth. In fact, it covered in houses, streets, pubs, and massive, domed shaped buildings. All kinds of ships sailed over and under the crescent city.

As they neared the empty space that served as a waterless harbor, Captain Amelia barked orders. Since the crew was reduced to only a few trustworthy hands, with several pirates tied up below deck, Doppler, Locke and the trio ran around getting the ship ready to dock. Midway through checking the sails, Sora realized that Jim was missing. While the remaining crew finished up the docking process, Sora slipped below the deck. He found Jim standing in the empty skiff hanger.

"What are you doing down here?"

Jim put his hands in his pockets. "Saying goodbye."

"To?"

"Silver."

"He's gone? You let him go?"

"Don't tell me you wouldn't have done the same."

Sora closed his eyes, letting out a guilty sigh. "You're right. I would have. Since I started adventuring, I've seen so many people give in to the darkness, and so far, only one person has tried resisting it. When you told me that Silver betrayed you, I was so angry because I was sure that he was going to give in to the darkness."

"You've been though this kind of thing before?"

"With my best friend. He gave in, but, at the end, he helped me. Sure, Silver and Riku did a few bad things, but I don't think they're evil. There are people out there whose light can push back the darkness. I can't believe I forgot that. I have to believe that my friend can overcome it too."

"Maybe Silver and I kept each other's darkness away. I mean look at me." Jim smiled. "I wen't from a loudmouth that can't get anything right to interstellar academy material. Maybe you just need someone else to keep you grounded, to tell you of your potential, to remind you that you do have a future after all."

Sora beamed. "You're right."

Jim walked passed Sora, leading the way back to the deck. The Legacy had finally docked. Amelia was down below, talking to a robot constable. She looked up and gave Jim a wink.

"From now on, I'm going to chart my own course, just like Silver taught me. What are you going to do?"

Sora looked out into the port. "I have some unfinished business to take care of before I can go home."

"Well, make sure to come back here sometime. I've got to even the score."

"What?"

"We're four to three now. You really saved me with that fire spell of yours."

Sora shook his head. "Naw. We're even. You got us through the portal. Next time we meet, we'll start fresh."

"You got a deal."

After shaking hands, Sora watched Jim run down the ramp. A woman with the same blue eyes and smooth, brown hair waited below. Jim embraced her. Doppler stood near by, holding hands with Amelia, watching Jim with a proud smile.

Donald, Goofy, and Locke joined Sora.

"I've been on some crazy airships before, but nothing that compares to this." Lock said.

Goofy leaned against the railing, resting his chin in his hands. "Is that Jim's mom? It must be nice to return home after such a long journey."

"All that," Donald huffed, "and still no treasure."

"Come on, Donald," Sora offered a consoling smile, "we just had the craziest adventure together and you're still upset about the gold?"

"Yes! First the caves in the bayou, then Agrabah, and now _this_? I'm tired of losing the loot."

Locke dug into his pocket and pulled out a single gold coin. "Look what I got."

Donald snapped up the coin before Locke could blink.

"You really love gold, huh?"

Goofy covered his face to hide his giggles. "Like a duck with a vault."

Locke blinked. "What does that mean?"

Sora turned around to ask the same question but then closed his mouth. Rising out of the deck of the legacy was the door that led back to Castle Oblivion. His friends sobered at the sight of it.

Sora summoned his keyblade. "We've got a shadow man to take down."

"You got a plan?" Donald asked.

"Kind of?"

Goofy put his hand on Sora and Donald's shoulders. "We can beat him if we work together."

The three friends moved to stand in front of the door, but did not pass through it. Locke hadn't moved from the railing.

"Sorry. I'm not going back with you."

Donald and Goofy hung their heads. "Why?"

Sora stepped forward. "You'll be stuck here if you stay."

Locke pulled out the magicite from his pocket. "This world is so vast. I just know there is a way to bring Terra back. I'm sure I can find it if I explore this world. Plus, there's more pirate treasure out there to find."

Locke reached out and ruffled Sora's hair.

"You guys are getting close to the end. I don't think you need a lookout anymore."

"Next time we meet, you'd better help me actually find and keep some treasure."

"You got it."

Locke shook Donald's hand.

Goofy saluted. "Thank you for everything Mr. Cole."

Locke shook his head. "That formal stuff doesn't suit me." He faced Sora. "You're a lot stronger then when we first met in Agrabah. Don't stop your journey. You'd better give that old witch doctor a few good kicks for locking me up in that tarot card."

Sora grasped Locke's hand, squeezing hard. "You bet I will."

* * *

_**Jiminy's Journal**_

Captain Nathaniel Flint (First Appeared in Treasure Planet, 2002): A pirate legend that traveled around the galaxy stealing all sorts of treasure. His obsession with gold turned out to be his downfall, as he wasted away all alone with his loot, leaving only his skeleton behind to be corrupted by the heartless.


	27. Chapter 26: The World of the Forgotten

**DISCLAIMER**: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy or any of the Disney/Square Enix characters that appear in this work. Please support the original releases.

_**Author's Note:**_

This is, without a doubt, the darkest chapter I have written for this story. When I first started this, I honestly didn't think I'd get this far, at least not this soon. And HOLY COW! I did not see the review/message until I got ready to upload this!

Shout out to **Dario Flaman** for his kind words! A million times thank you! I'm so happy you are enjoying this story. And finally, someone enjoyed Locke's role! Finding a plate to include Final Fantasy characters, when there are already SO many characters to manage, has been tricky, so I'm happy that you liked his inclusion! I welcome reviews, it really made me happy! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

* * *

**_Chapter 26: The World of the Forgotten_**

* * *

Rain. The scent flowed into him, clearing the tightness in his chest. "Mickey, do you feel it too?"

Mickey stopped walking for a moment, sniffing. Then there was a chuckle.

"Light. It's close! Riku, hurry!"

Mickey jumped onto the series of platforms up ahead. Riku chased him. The light pressed on them like a bit of sunshine shining through thick storm clouds. He felt its warm breeze on his skin, but it was fading quickly. Heartless rose up from the ground, attracted to the new sensation. Raising his keyblade, Mickey sliced through them, and then tumbled through the light.

Riku rushed through a wall of sweet, clear air. The ever present stink of darkness faded, morphing from an atmosphere into concentrated points in the distance. He slammed hard onto a cold floor and breathed in the light all around him. After so long in the same, stale, dusty air, all the smells of the world hit his now overly sensitive nose at once. Marble dust, ash and gravel made him sneeze. His senses of light and dark told him that the room he had fallen into was somewhat broken.

Mickey's footsteps echoed in the large space. "Gosh, what a mess. I wonder happened here?"

Riku ran his hand over the cold, marble walls. There were groves and cracks. Whole sections of the wall and floors were dented, as though crushed by a wrecking ball. He felt a tingle of magic lingering in the dust underneath his feet.

"There was a fight here," Riku said.

"Gee. It looks like it was a tough one too."

Riku walked to the edge of the room. He felt the cool mist of rain, and wrinkled his nose at the scent of concrete. There was a city beyond the battle-scarred room he stood in. Mickey came to stand at his side.

"I sense a lot of darkness up ahead, but there's also-"

"Light," Mickey finished. "And it's a strong one too."

Nodding at each other, the two friends walked out into the storm.

* * *

The world beyond the castle was in full view when the trio entered the foyer through the dimensional door. No longer was there a door, just the three walls of Castle Oblivion and the dark, empty city beyond the missing fourth wall. The cold air gave Sora goosebumps. He stood at the border between the city and the castle and was about to take a step but a barrier of green and purple flames slithered up from the ground, obscuring the city outside and barring his path. The foyer's bright, white walls darkened to a gloomy grey.

There was clapping.

Tensing, the trio turned to see Dr. Facilier bow.

"Bravo. Fine work, gentleman."

Donald and Goofy stood with their feet apart, settling into a fighting stance. Sora crossed his arms in a challenge.

"Aren't you going to thank us for all the hard work by telling us exactly what you want?"

"I'm afraid that would ruin the suspense."

Donald banged his staff on the floor. "Enough mind games."

Goofy pointed to the flames behind him. "We know this castle is a prison and we won't let you escape it."

Dr. Facilier leaned on his cane. He flicked his free hand, and, after a pop of smoke, three tarot cards appeared between his ring and pinky fingers. The cards shuffled on their own, floating around Dr. Facilier's neck and waist.

"I'd wager that there is something y'all want much more then being stuck in this forsaken castle."

The tarot cards floated, growing till they scrapped the ceiling. They tipped forward, squashing Sora, Donald and Goofy flat.

* * *

Donald sat up in bed, feeling more energized then he had since he couldn't remember when. A plate full of steaming breakfast sat on top of a silver and gold breakfast tray next to his four poster bed. His silk pajama sleeves slid down his arms when he stretched. Morning light came in through the floor to ceiling windows, shining over the pile of gold in the middle of the room.

The coins gleamed. Donald threw off his satin bedsheets so that he can bellyflop right onto the money pile. He rolled over the coins, waving his arms and legs like he were making a snow angel. Without further ado, he started counting. He had gotten to five thousand when his stomach growled.

His breakfast was the most delicious thing he had ever eaten in his life. What was he saying, he had breakfast like that all the time! And gourmet lunches, and desserts, private planes, yachts, mansions, anything he could want! Donald changed out of his pajamas and into one of the many tailor made suits in his walk in closet. He was ready to face another day as the richest duck in the world.

He rang for the butler. But no one came. Odd.

Walking down to the first floor, his footsteps echoed on the burgundy carpet. He called out for the servants, but no one answered.

"Huey? Dewey? Louie?" The boys' room was empty.

In the next second, he was standing outside Daisy's home. No one answered when he knocked. Then he was at the castle. King Mickey, Queen Minnie, and Goofy were no where to be found. The gummi hanger was chipmunk less. Not even Pluto ran up to greet him. Desperate, Donald found himself in front of Uncle Ludvig's lab. No one was there.

What nonsense. He was the richest duck in the world, and there was no one around to adore him for his wealth?

Donald found himself back in his lonely mansion with the most painful of headaches. As he walked around the decadent halls, more and more piles of gold and jewels popped up in his path. Donald kicked and punched the piles. All this wealth? For what? Why had ever wanted it in the first place? For respect?

Donald shook his head, the headache burning into the back of his eyeballs. Didn't he already have respect? Wasn't there someone that was his friend even when he didn't have any gold? That was silly. He was always the richest duck in the world? Wasn't he?

The questions swirled like a whirlpool in his head until Donald couldn't take it anymore. He screamed up into the high ceiling. The sounds of his own fury echoed back into his ears. None of it mattered! Not if he was alone! Donald ran through the mansion, the town, the castle, calling for his family, his sweetheart, anyone, but found himself back at his empty mansion.

"Stupid money," he seethed.

"_Come on, Donald. We just had the craziest adventure together and you're still upset about the gold_?"

Donald growled. "Of course I liked the adventure, Sora!" His beak opened wide. "That's right! I remember! Sora! Where are you?"

The mansion began to crumble around him, but Donald didn't care. A golden door appeared before him. It opened wide and Donald ran into the light.

* * *

It was the perfect day. After preparing a picnic basket, Goofy and Max went out to their favorite fishing spot. Max sat at the bank, his feet in the water, watching the lure float over the reflection of the cloudless sky. Goofy put his arm around his son. How much Max had grown! Why, just yesterday he was in diapers! Before he knew it Max would be fifteen and off having adventures in other worlds.

Goofy shook his head at the silly thought. There was no such thing as other worlds. It was just him and his son. That's all that mattered.

"What's wrong, Dad?"

"Just daydreaming, Maxie."

"Can you show me how to do the perfect cast?"

Goody laughed. "But you've already seen it a hundred times."

"I want to see it again. Please?"

Ruffling Max's messy hair, Goofy stood. He lifted his fishing pole. Max mimicked him, holding a keyblade over his head. Goofy blinked. Max was holding a fishing pole, not an oversized key. He must have been seeing things.

"Dad? Are you going to do the perfect cast or not?"

Goofy rolled his shoulders. "Okay now. Watch Carefully. You've got to be loose. Relaxed. With your feet apart, and," Goofy swung the fishing pole over his head. "Ten o'clock!" He swung the pole to the left. "Two o'clock!" He swung the pole to the right. "Quarter to three! Tour Jete! Twist! Over! Pas de deux! I'm a little teapot! And the windup! And let 'er fly!" The lure went flying over Goofy's head, landing perfectly in the middle of the lake.

Max whooped. "Wow! So cool! I can't wait to grow up and be just like you!" "Ahyuck! What do you mean? You're already a knight. Why, King Mickey says that you're the best swordsman he's ever trained."

Max gave Goofy a funny look. "Who's King Mickey?"

Goofy scratched his head. "Don't tell me you don't remember. You begged me to let you train with him."

"Why would I do that? Aren't swords dangerous?"

"Well yeah, but you insisted. Said ya wanted to prove yourself. Then you started training with two swords, and we had a lecture about safety, and then I had to leave for some reason."

Goofy's dropped his fishing pole and covered his eyes.

"Dad! What's wrong?"

Max's cold, hard hands patted Goofy's back. Each thump sent an image of Max through Goofy's head. Max playing hide and seek in the castle with PJ, Max practicing with a wooden sword in his first training session, Max storming off after arguing that he was old enough to be a guard captain, Max staring off dreamily while doodling a pretty girl on his homework. Then it was Max piloting the gummi ship, fighting monsters from the darkness, searching for his friends.

No. It was all wrong. Goofy's eyes burned. There was another boy. He just knew it, so why couldn't he remember? His chest burned with a loneliness he didn't understand. Why? Max, the person he loved most in the world, was right next to him.

_"You have a son?" _

"_Yup. Ahyuck. He's a real good boy, my Max. You kind of remind me of him, Sora_."

Goofy got down on his knees and pulled Max close.

"Dad?"

"Max, I love you for who you are, not who I want you to be. I can't hold on to this memory forever. Right now, my friends need me."

When Goofy opened his eyes, Max was gone. A door of light was opening on the bank of the lake. Without hesitating, Goofy ran through it.

* * *

The sand tickled his toes, the water like silk on his legs. He stared out into the clear sky, felt the warmth of the sun on his face. The smell of fresh coconut and ocean mist surrounding him, clearing away the heavy, anxious air from his lungs. There was only one problem. Where was he?

Someone giggled. "Hello? Earth to Sora? Did you fall asleep while standing? Now that takes talent."

A girl came to stand next to him, bonking him on the head.

"Wakey, wakey!"

Sora rolled his eyes. "Give me a break-" He stared at the girl's glossy, red hair. "Who are you?"

The girl shook her head. "It's finally happened. Your laziness has scrambled your brains. Hey Riku! hHe's finally lost it."

"When did even have 'it' in the first place?"

Sora turned to glare at the silver haired boy standing on the beach behind him. The girl got between them, putting her hands up. "Cool it, you two."

Sora looked from the girl's bright smile, to the smug challenge in the boy's eyes. Recognition sparked in his heart.

"Of course! You're Kairi and Riku!"

His two friends looked at each other and then back at him.

"Gee, thanks for remembering us," they deadpanned.

"How did you guys get here! I've been looking for you everywhere!"

"What are you talking about," said Riku. "We were just together five minutes ago."

Kairi put her hand on Sora's forehead. He started.

"Doesn't feel like you have a fever. Maybe you're hungry?"

Sora stepped back. "This can't be right. I mean, I've been looking for you two forever, and then we met again, but then we were separated and-"

Kairi put her hands on Sora's cheeks, holding him still. "We're together now, everything's fine. Relax."

Her skin was so soft, he couldn't help leaning into her hands. She closed her eyes, and the warmth in her smile melted all of his worries away. He was home.

Riku patted his shoulder. "Are you awake now, or do I have to give you a noogie?"

Sora pushed Riku playfully. "Just try it."

"Here we go again." Kairi fake sighed. She pointed to an round island that popped out of the ocean. "I'll handle this. First one to the paopu tree wins."

Sora and Riku dug their feet into the sand.

Kairi waved her arm. "GO!"

One second the race had started, the next, Sora was standing on the island, raising his fist in the air for his victory. Riku caught up to him. He leaned forward, hands on his knees, gasping. Behind him, Kairi leisurely walked across the bridge that led to the island.

"The score's one to zero," she announced. "Sora's in the lead."

"Since when are you faster then me," Riku complained.

"Since I became keyblade master and beat all kinds of monsters."

Kairi tilted her head. "Keyblade? What's that, some kind of imaginary weapon?"

"How can you not remember? It's," Sora trailed off. "What was I talking about again?"

"Whatever," Riku waved his hand. "Rematch." He picked up a toy sword that had been resting by the paopu tree.

Sora looked down. There was already a wooden sword in his hand. The next moment, he had beaten Riku in a duel. Then he won in a swimming race. Then they played with the other kids on the beach. Wakka and Tidus challenged them to a team battle. The win was effortless for Sora and Riku. Even when Selfie joined, and it was three to two, Sora and Riku won in seconds. At sundown, Wakka, Selfie and Tidus left to sail back to the main island.

Riku, yawning, got in his boat next. "Got to rest up. Tomorrow, I'm going to win."

"Sure you are," Sora drawled.

"Enjoy it while you can!"

Standing on the pier, Sora watched Riku's boat drift away. The farther the boat got, the more Sora imagined a door. A door that was slowly closing with Riku trapped on the other side. Without thinking, Sora dived into the water and began swimming after Riku's boat. A call from the pier made him stop.

Kairi sat at the pier, her legs dangling over the water.

"You're not seriously thinking about swimming back, are you?"

Sora whipped the sea salt off his face. "No." "Then get out of the water, you doof."

She extended her hand pulled him up onto the peir.

"You've been acting weird all day," she said as Sora sat down. "Are you sure you're not sick?"

Sora stared out into the golden and white hues of the sunset on the sea. "I've been having these weird thoughts lately," he said. "Like, is any of this for real, or not?"

Kairi leaned put her cheek on Sora's shoulder. Every muscle in Sora's body tensed, like the rush before a battle. The sun must have been shining directly on his face, because his cheeks blazed. Turning his head slowly, to make sure he wasn't dreaming, he looked at Kairi's face. Her eyes were closed, and her breathing was deep.

"You think too hard, Sora."

"W-what do you mean?"

She tilted her head, looking up at him. "Why would any of this be fake? Isn't this what you always wanted?"

"Kairi," Sora swallowed, "I-"

She leaned upward. "Yes?"

Sora dug into his pocket. "I promised you something."

Kairi grabbed his hand. "Forget about that. What were you going to say?"

Her nose was almost touching his.

Sora leaned back. "Wait. This isn't right. It's too perfect."

The sun dropped beneath the horizon and the island was cast in shadows of grey and brown. Up above, the stars were swallowed by the blanket of darkness. The wind slammed into Sora's chest, throwing him back, his shoulder scrapping the wood of the pier. He pushed himself to his feet, shielding his face from glass shards in the wind.

Kairi was not on the pier. She was standing on the beach, in front of a white door. Sora heard her empty voice over the storm.

"This world has been connected."

Kairi vanished.

Sora raced to the door. The wind sliced into his arms and legs, forcing him down onto his knees. Dark arms reached out from under the sand, crushing Sora's angles in their fists. His legs sank into the beach. Someone stood before him. Looking up, his eyes widened in horror at the sight of Riku. His skin was charred black, his eyes were a cruel yellow.

Riku held out his hand. "Tied to the darkness. Is this what you truly want? You couldn't be happy with this gift?"

Riku faded into ashes. Sora fought the dark hands that reached up to grab his hips and waist. He tried to drag his body toward the door, his hands digging into the sand in a hopeless attempt to pull himself forward. The white door drifted further down the beach. At the shore, the water pulled back. A dark wave rose up from deep within the ocean. The wave grew, taller then the palm trees on the island. It stampeded toward the beach.

Light cut through the storm, shining into Sora's eyes. The door had opened. Donald and Goofy appeared on the other side. They reached out. The tidal wave right over Sora's head. With the last of his strength, he lunged. Donald and Goofy grabbed his wrists and pulled him through the door. The wave swallowed the entire island.

* * *

The tarot cards ripped and Sora, Donald and Goofy tumbled out, collapsing onto Castle Oblivion's floor. Still holding hands, the three friends helped each other stand, panting as their memories snapped back into place.

"Impressive. Not even a full minute, and you escaped from the prison of desire."

A grey blob appeared below Sora's feet. Dr. Facilier's shadow laughing silently beneath him. Sora summoned his keyblade and slammed it into the floor, cracking the marble. The shadow slithered away to linger on the wall behind Dr. Facilier.

Pushing himself to his feet, Sora pointed his key at the shadow man. "You think what I want is more important then every one of my friends? Think again! You'll never defeat us."

"Not while we have each other," Goofy added.

Donald rolled up his sleeve. "And together, we will take you down!"

"Oh it's already too late for that. The boundary between Castle Oblivion and the realm of darkness is almost broken. Soon, my friends from the other side will break free, and I will have all the power I could ever want."

"Not if I lock this castle up again. All we need to do is get rid of you."

Dr. Facilier chuckled. "You're welcome to try."

His shadow widened, its arms and fingers lengthening like spider's legs, covering the walls. Sora, Donald and Goofy stood back to back, raising their weapons so that they touched overhead. Red courage, green loyalty and blue passion gathered around their weapons, combining into a fiery white, beam of energy.

"Trinity limit!"

The three friends aimed the beam of light at the shadow. Their attack cracked the walls, making pieces of blackened marble crumble to the floor. The shadow writhed, melting down to a tiny spec. The white beam faded, and Sora flashed forward, right at Dr. Facilier. His keyblade blurred as he delivered several precise slashes in midair.

Dr. Facilier tap-danced out of the way of each attack, his slim figure making it easy for him to slip away, but Sora was not done. At the end of his combo, a twister of colorful lights gathered around the end of his keyblade.

"Ragnarok!"

The twister spiraled out of control. A dozen deadly lights showered on Dr. Facilier, bursting as they hit him one by one. Sora jumped back, watching as his attack completely obscured Dr. Facilier. Behind him, Donald and Goofy smashed the walls by ramming it with a series of ice spells and Goofy's shield. The shadow had no smooth surface to move over, and soon it was trapped on the floor. Goofy jumped on his shield, using it as a sled. Goofy slid over the floor, chasing after the shadow as it moved helplessly around the room.

He pushed it to a corner, where Donald completely obliterated the walls around it by shooting out ten firaga spells at once. Gasping, the friends gathered up, ready for round two. Donald and Sora downed a pair of ethers from Goofy and waited. The smoke cleared from Sora's attack. Dr. Facilier was gone.

The shadow, trembling, reached out toward the trio. They watched as it bucked and thrashed over the floor, raising their weapons when it reached out toward them. Then the shadow collapsed, completely still.

"Now if only it were that easy."

Sora felt the sting of something being plucked from the top of his head. Behind him. Donald and Goofy yelped. He turned to see his friends rubbing their temples. Then he spotted Dr. Facilier by the dimensional door. He removed a necklace from under his purple vest. Sora dashed forward but then his stomach twisted as he was jerked backwards and held up in the air by the ceiling. Donald and Goofy dangled next to him, held up by the shadow's long, thin fingers.

Down below, Dr. Faciliar held up the necklace. A voodoo mask talisman hung off the chain. The mask's mouth open wide, and Dr. Facilier dropped a white feather, a brown hair, and piece of black fur into it. The mask swallowed the items, glowing blood red. The shadow dropped Sora, Donald and Goofy. The moment they hit the floor, they found themselves laying between an enormous pair of suede shoes.

The shoe reeled back and kicked Donald and Goofy. They slammed like a pair of flies onto a jagged piece of marble rubble. Before Sora could run to his friends, a cage of fingers appeared around him. The fingers tightened, and Sora only had enough time to wiggle his head and keyblade arm free. He was lifted up in front of Dr. Facilier's massive, dark eyes. The shadow man's lips spread out in a thin smile. He squeezed.

Hot spikes of pain stabbed into every inch of Sora's body. His mouth opened wide in a silent scream. Every muscle and bone in his body blazed, fighting against the inevitable crack and fracture that was seconds away from leaving Sora as nothing more then a piece of mush. Something flew over Sora's shoulder.

Above him, Dr. Facilier growled, blinking as Goofy's shield fell off his face. Down below, Donald threw fire spells at the shadow man's legs. Goofy was climbing up his vest. Dr. Facilier scooped up the duck and dog and held them next to Sora. Donald wriggled, managing to cast a healing spell over Sora before he too was squeezed.

The spell eased Sora's pain, clearing his mind for only a second. Donald and Goofy's eyes were moments away from popping out of their heads. Raising his keyblade, Sora chanted a healing spell on his friends. Dr. Facilier crushed them harder in response.

Sora could barely breathe. All he could do was stare at the talisman swinging from Dr. Facilier's neck. The cure spell was moments away from fading. One more second and the pain would crush Sora. With nothing left to do, and with all the strength he had, Sora hurled his keyblade at the voodoo mask. The keyblade ripped through the talisman, shattering it.

Dr. Facilier dropped Sora and his friends. Hitting the floor hadn't hurt too much as they grew back to their normal size, but the trio were too bruised to stand. Sora reached for his friends. Trembling, Goofy pulled out a vial of galaxy colored liquid from his pocket. An elixir. Sora was barely able to lift his arm to drink it.

His muscles and bones popped with energy. He was back on his feet. On the other side of the room, Dr. Facilier was helplessly trying to piece the talisman back together, his guard down. Sora dug his feet into the ground, gathering up all of his newfound energy. The power amalgamated in his core. His fists and knees burned with the need to move.

Sora flashed forward, sonic power gathering around his keyblade, sharpening it into a spear of light. He sliced through the room, stopping right behind Dr. Facilier, his keyblade still glowing.

A puddle of darkness appeared below the shadow man. Oily, black vines looped around Dr. Facilier's arms, shoulders, and chest, dragging him down into the dark depths below. His shadow stretched like a noodle, trying to escape, but it too sunk into the darkness along with its master. Only Dr. Faciler's top hat remained.

Sora collapsed onto his hands and knees. He crawled back to his friends and used the last of his energy to cast a healing spell. Donald and Goofy rolled over, their breathing easing. They lay on the floor, gasping, barely awake. Out of magic, out of supplies, the only they could do now was rest.

"Did we win?" Donald groaned.

Sora leaned up to look around the foyer. The dark puddle was gone. The once pure, white interior of Castle Oblivion was completely trashed. A hooded man stood over Dr. Facilier's hat. Though his face was hidden under the shadows of his hood, Sora knew his smooth and low voice.

"So, the darkness came to collect its debt."

"What debt?"

"The shadow man wanted power. So he turned to the darkness and was granted more power then he could ever handle." The hooded man picked up the hat. "And in the end, he paid the price for the deal he struck."

The top hat burned into cinders.

"Of course, that is what happens when someone leaves their world in search of power. Darkness loves greed."

"I don't understand. Dr. Facilier made a deal with you?"

"I do not make deals with those that are consumed with darkness." The man pulled back his hood. "The shadow man was nothing more then a means to an end."

Sora's stomach turned at the man's face. He must have been handsome once, but now his rose gold hair was faded, like a flower that had long since wilted and died. The fine bones of his face appeared through his thin, chalky complexion. His skin was like cracked wax, the lines of his face scarred by dark purple, touched by darkness. His eyes had sunken into their sockets, the once bright, blue irises now a dim purple.

"Who are you?"

"Ah yes. Now that you've almost freed me, the least I can is offer my name. You may call me, Marluxia. I am the true prisoner of Castle Oblivion."

Sora's stomach bubbled with dread. "And just why were you sealed away?"

Marluxia smiled. He blinked out of existence. Then Sora heard the metal swoosh of a weapon ringing in his ears. He turned. A curved, silver and pink blade hovered over Donald and Goofy's heads. Marluxia lifted the scythe.

"Don't you worry about the cause of my imprisonment. You will come with me, or..."

The scythe flashed downward.

"No! I'll go with you! Just don't hurt them, please!"

The blade stopped.

"Wise choice."

Donald and Goofy tried to stand.

"Wait! Sora!"

"Don't go with 'im!"

But it was too late. The world around Sora completely melted and Donald and Goofy, along with the rest of the castle, went with it. Sora knelt on a rooftop overlooking the dark city below. Though the windows and neon signs were lit with an eerie, murky white, the city was nothing more then a forsaken wasteland of sharp buildings and empty streets. Spikes, dripping with darkness like poisonous briars, jutted out of the black sky beyond surrounding the city.

"What is this place?"

Marluxia floated above the rooftop. "This is The World of the Forgotten. Once, this city was a vibrant garden of warmth and light, its people happy and prosperous, until the darkness ate away at it, turning into an unnatural realm of nothing."

Marluxia flew over Sora's head. He hovered next to a vortex of darkness. At the center, was a keyhole.

"As long as the realm of darkness exists, every world will meet the same fate. I have waited here, trapped between the boundary of Castle Oblivion and the realm of darkness. Once you unlock this world, I will be free to finish what I couldn't all those years ago. I shall gather all the heroes in the realm of light, and destroy the realm of darkness for eternity. Now," he gestured to the keyhole, "unlock it."

Sora didn't move. "This world sits on the boundary of the realm of darkness, right? So by unlocking this world, and allowing you to go out into the others, I will unlock the realm of darkness too, won't I?"

"A temporary price to pay until the realm of darkness is destroyed."

Sora took a step back, closer to the edge of the building. "I won't flood the worlds in darkness again. You can't force me to unlock it."

"Brave and meaningless words."

Marluxia snapped his fingers.

A needle of ice jammed into Sora's heart. Holding his chest, he bent forward. The keyblade materialized in his hand.

"In all my years of being bound to this place, I had a choice: wait, or learn how to channel the darkness. Which do you think I chose?"

Invisible puppet strings pulled Sora's arms and legs forward. He fought against his own body, pulling back, but each time he took a step back, Marluxia pulled him two paces forward.

"How can you talk about destroying the darkness and use it at the same time?"

"Fighting fire with fire."

Three more steps and the keyblade would enter the lock. "You're so obsessed with destroying the darkness for good, that you don't even realized that you've been tainted by it."

"Every greater good requires sacrifice. I shall my price after the dead is done. You should join me. After all, we fight for the same cause."

"You're wrong."

Two more steps.

One more step.

"I won't be the key bearer that brings ruin." Sora fought against the invisible wires digging into his skin.

Marluxia appeared behind him.

"Heroes must make difficult choices."

He pushed Sora.

The keyblade entered the lock.

Sora felt a surge of darkness, his body weakening like it had back on Treasure Planet. Marluxia turned to look at the lock, and, in that split second, Sora pulled the keyblade back. He aimed a light into the keyhole, locking it up again. Grunting against his invisible shackles, Sora held the keyblade out in front of him.

"You're right. Heroes have to make hard choices. This is my choice!"

He gripped the keyblade's handle with one hand, and the shaft with the other. With all of his willpower, Sora brought the keyblade down on his knee. There was a sickening crunsh and the keyblade snapped in half. Marluxia roared. The strings holding Sora in place came undone and he fell to his hands and knees, the two halves of the keyblade clattering to the floor beneath him.

Donald, Goofy, King Mickey, Riku and Kairi flashed through Sora's thoughts. He reached into his pocket and pulled out Kairi's good luck charm. "I'm sorry. I don't think I can keep my promise."

The charm and the two halves of the keyblade vanished, leaving behind only sparkling dust.

Marluxia curled his fingers around Sora's neck. "Destroying your greatest weapon? Foolish."

"I haven't lost my greatest weapon. It's right here." Sora pointed to his chest. "You can't force me to open the realm of darkness without a key. And now you'll never find it."

"I've plotted for thousands of years to escape this world, I can wait several more. You will sleep in darkness until I see fit to wake you to complete your final task."

Dried rose petals fluttered down over Sora's eyelids.

A wave of darkness appeared in Sora's thoughts. It thundered toward him.

_ Only the bonds you have forged can protect you now. _

Sora fell into nothingness.

* * *

Queen Minnie stood alone in the castle's audience hall, staring sadly at the king's empty throne. She looked up at the red banner that hung overhead.

"I hope you're safe."

Something twinkled above. A silver star glittered, floating down from the ceiling. Minnie, palms up, moved to catch the star, her heart pounding. A shining letter fluttered down to rest perfectly in her palms. Turning the smooth paper over, Minnie covered her mouth. There was a blue, triangle shaped, wax seal. The seal had yellow stars, resembling a wizard's hat.

Minnie picked up her skirts and raced out of the throne room. In the colonnade outside, she nearly crashed into Daisy. Her beak hung open at sight of Minnie's wide eyes and short breaths.

Daisy spotted the letter. "Oh my. I'll summon Kairi."

Minnie moved to the castle library, where she paced back and forth. Pluto rose from his bed and rubbed the top of his head under Minnie's glove, as if to say everything would be all right. Yet Minnie's hands trembled. Several times her fingers moved to break the wax seal and look inside the letter. Then Kairi, her face looking much like Minnie's had mere moments earlier, barged into the room. Before the girl could ask any questions, Minnie raised her hand, asking for silence.

Daisy and Mary entered. Mary closed the door, gracefully folding her hands in front of her waist, waiting. She inclined her head toward Minnie, silently sending support. Daisy came to stand by Minnie's side.

Taking a deep breathe, Minnie lifted the letter, tapping the blue, wax seal.

"Master Yen Sid has replied."

She gave the letter to Kairi. Not wasting any time, Kairi popped the wax seal and looked inside. She read for one second and then lowered the letter, a look of complete confusion on her face.

"Well," Daisy prompted impatiently.

"There's only one sentence."

"What?" Daisy snatched the letter from Kairi and lifted it so that it was level with her beak. There was indeed only one sentence.

_To find the answers you seek, you must go back to where your journey began._

"What? That can't be all? What about the heartless machine? What about finding Donald, Goofy and His Majesty?"

Queen Minnie closed her eyes, pressing her hands over her chest. "King Mickey's teacher has always been a little cryptic. Truth be told, I wasn't sure if he would respond at all."

Mary Poppins came to Minnie's side. She took the mouse's hand and guided her to sit down at the king's desk.

"I'm sorry dear."

Minnie smoothed her hands over her forehead, the sadness dropping from her face to be replaced by a soft smile. "Thank you. But we have more important things to be doing, do we not?"

Was that a hint of pride in Mary's smile? Minnie wasn't sure. Mary Poppins could be just as mysterious as Master Yen Sid himself.

"Now then, we must decipher Master Yen Sid's message. What do you think he means by 'where your journey began?'"

Daisy cleared her throat, placing the letter on the desk. "Perhaps it began right here. His Majesty left the castle when he saw the stars blinking out one by one."

"If that were true," Mary said, "then wouldn't we have already found some answers."

"Perhaps there is something we missed?" Minnie suggested. "We still have many mysteries to solve."

Kairi moved toward the desk and stared at the letter. Where her journey began, she thought. Destiny Islands? No, Kairi shook her head. That was where Sora's journey began. Then where, or when, had Kairi's journey began?

Images flashed in her thoughts. A dark, stormy night, a library full of secret passageways, ancient tombs about the heart, her grandmother's soothing bedtime stories. Kairi's chest felt tight. She bit her lip.

"Hollow Bastion. I think, no, I'm sure that's what the letter means. Go back to the start of my journey, my original world, where the heartless first appeared, ten years ago."

Daisy drummed her fingers on the desk. "That's going to be quite a journey. Has the gummi ship been finished?"

Minnie reached out and took Kairi's hand. "Is something the matter, dear?"

Kairi's face stretched into a smile, but her eyes didn't shine. She pulled her hand back.

"I'm fine."

"Now Kairi, it's best to be honest with your feelings," said Mary. "I know exactly what ails you."

Kairi froze. "You do?"

"Yes. You believe that you are have not yet mastered enough magic to handle yourself out there."

Kairi opened her mouth and then closed it. "Well, that's kind of it, but-"

"Not to worry," Mary said, pushing Kairi toward the library doors. "You've more then proved your capability to me, and I'm sure Max will agree that your sword skills are enough to at least defend yourself. Now go find Professor Von Drake and Mr. McDuck would you?"

"But-"

"Spit spot, we have no time for dilly dally."

Kairi, her brows drawn together, stumbled out of the library. Once the sound of her footsteps had faded, Mary turned back around to face the Queen and Daisy.

Minnie traced the writing on the letter with her finger. "Mary dear, I think she may have been afraid."

"You are correct, Majesty."

Daisy put her hand on her hips. "Then shouldn't we comfort her?"

"Do you truly believe that will help?"

Queen Minnie folded the letter back into it's envelope. "No. Sometimes, the only way to conquer a fear is to face it."

* * *

**Jiminy's Journal**

Marluxia (First Appeared in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, 2004) The true prisoner of Castle Oblivion. A powerful man that once tried to destroy the realm of darkness. Years of being alone with his obsession has warped him, turning him into the very thing he despises. It was his scheme that lured Sora, Donald, Goofy and Dr. Facilier to Castle Oblivion.


	28. Chapter 27: Hollow Bastion

**DISCLAIMER**: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy or any of the Disney/Square Enix characters that appear in this work. Please support the original releases.

* * *

**_Chapter 27: Hollow Bastion_**

* * *

"Awesome!"

Max and Kairi moved about the bridge of the gummi ship, marveling at all the buttons, the steering wheel, and the dollar sign shaped pilot's chair.

"Totally awesome," Kairi agreed, looking up at the glass domed ceiling.

Huey, Dewey, and Louie bounced up and down by the control panel.

"Finally! It's ready! That was so much work," complained Louie.

"Think of all the adventures we can go on now," said Dewey.

Huey rubbed his eye. "A real rocket ship! Words cannot express how happy I am."

Scrooge stomped into the bridge and pointed his cane at the semicircle of passenger seats behind the pilot's chair. "Sit down and buckle up. Goodness knows, I don't want this thing falling out of the sky because you five had to go and play co-pilot."

Professor Von Drake's head popped out from under the control panel. "I vill have you know that I have created the finest ship! There is no vay it will fall out of the sky!"

Gadget, who had been sitting on the professor's shoulder, jumped onto the control panel. "We've given the ship a complete overhaul. The odds of blowing up are less then ninety nine point eight percent."

She stomped on a blue button. A view screen appeared on the round window in front of the pilot's seat.

"Testing, one, two. Chip? Dale? Can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear!" Dale waved his arms on the view screen.

Chip's blurry, black nose obscured the screen for a moment before he leaned back. "We'll keep an eye on the ship's progress from the hanger. Be safe out there!"

Gadget jumped from one button to the next. The screen changed. Chip and Dale vanished, to be replaced by a screen full of numbers and charts. Gadget nodded at each figure.

"All systems ready, Professor."

"Excellent. Ve only need our pilot."

Launchpad entered the bridge. "All right Mr. McD, I'm ready to get this baby space-born."

Kairi cringed.

"Don't worry," Gadget winked, "I've added anti-crash systems attached to the ship."

"Thanks."

Buckling up, Kairi looked out of the glass dome at the red and white wings of the ship. The thrusters lit up with a lavender stream of energy as the ship came to life. Down blow, in the gummi hanger, Queen Minnie, Daisy, Mary, PJ and Bobby stood behind Chip and Dale. The gummi ship's view screen popped up.

Bobby pushed aside everyone else so that he give the passengers a huge wink.

"You got this, bro-oh! We'll keep things good on the home front."

Max waved at his friends. "Make sure he doesn't slack off, Peej."

PJ gripped his hammer with trembling hands. "Please come back safe. I don't think I'm ready to be captain full time."

Someone cleared their throat. Bobby and PJ stiffened, moving so Daisy can take up the screen. "Max, make sure to keep everyone out of harm's way."

Max saluted. "Yes ma'am."

Next came Mary and Minnie. "I've taught you as much as I can. Experience will be your teacher now."

"And Kairi," Queen Minnie curtsied, "good luck on your mission."

Kairi put her hands over her heart, biting her lip. "Majesty Minnie, Daisy, Mary, thank you for everything!"

Minnie, Mary and Daisy chuckled. "Of course dear. Now off you go."

"Launchpad to crew, perimeters set! Ready for blast off."

On the screen, Chip and Dale grinned. "Happy flying!"

The screen turned off. Launchpad pulled a lever. The ship vibrated, lifting from its secured position. It hovered, lighting up the gummi hanger with lavender shadows.

"Blast off!" An arrow appeared right in front of the ship. It pointed downward.

Kairi had one second to realize what was happening before her stomach dropped down into her legs. The triplets screamed. Max held onto this seat for dear life. Professor Von Drake had to grab Gadget before she could go splat against the ceiling. Scrooge merely rolled his eyes as the ship fell down through a long tunnel.

They popped out right underneath the world of Disney Castle. Kairi, upside down and still gasping from the surprise plunge, watched Disney Castle shrink as they flew away. Once Launchpad had the ship right side up again, everyone was allowed to leave their seats. Gadget ordered the triplets around while Scrooge and Professor Von Drake stayed near Launchpad, making sure he was paying attention on their voyage. Max looked out the window into the swirling, tie-die blues, purples, and pinks of interspace. The nebulae and stars reflected in his wide eyes.

"Wow."

Kairi stared out into the stars, wondering if Sora was out there somewhere, looking all the worlds he had worked so hard to save. Now it was her turn. Kairi removed two letters from her waist pouches. The first was the crumbled letter from King Mickey, the one that Pluto had given her on Destiny Islands. The second was from Master Yen Sid.

"Hello? Earth to Kairi?"

Max slumped down in the seat next to her. "What's up? You're never this out of it."

Kairi pinched the letter's corner, wrinkling it more. "Just thinking about all the stuff we're going to do in the new world. What do you plan to do once we get there?"

"Stick to you like glue." Max pointed to the ducks. "Bet Mr. McDuck is going to find a nice place to set up some kind of shop, and he's going to boss around the boys to do his busy work. Gadget, Launchpad and Professor Von Drake aren't going to leave this ship." Max leaned in to whisper. "No matter what Gadget says, I just know Launchpad is going to find some way to damage this thing."

"I heard that!"

Max waved his hand dismissively at Gadget.

"Anyway," he continued, "you have something big you need to do. So, I'm not leaving your side until you do it."

"It may be dangerous."

Max poked Kairi on her forehead. "Who was the person that taught you how to defend yourself?"

Kairi grinned evilly. "Oswald."

"Excuse me? What about all the sweet moves I taught you?"

Kairi put her tongue between her teeth. "I'm kidding, you goof."

"Excuse me, Ms. Kairi," Launchpad called.

"We're far enough from Disney Castle to do a jump," Gadget explained, pointing to a series of buttons. "All we need are the coordinates."

"Give me a second." Kairi closed her eyes, thinking. "Sora punched in the numbers on his last adventure. I think it went something like this."

Automatically, Kairi pressed the right buttons. It was strange how she knew so much simply from being inside Sora's heart, experiencing his adventure with him. In fact, Kairi wondered if her aptitude for sword play was because she had been with Sora during so many of his battles.

Gadget clapped her hands. "Perfect! Everyone sit down! Warping in ten seconds!"

The ship launched through a long tunnel of lights and colors. Kairi was pressed into her seat. Moments later, the tunnel ended and the ship slowed. A red spec appeared in the distance. As they flew closer to it, Kairi felt the itch of dread on her chest.

Memories filled her mind of running through a labyrinth of elevators, forgotten halls, waterways and pipes. And of running away from Ansem, right after losing Sora. A lonely feeling chewed at her heart, reminding her of the pain of when she finally reunited with her friends, only for Sora to vanish in her arms, and for Riku to appear as nothing more then a phantom, warning her to run away from the heartless. They were going back to where it had all happened. The place she had refused to remember for so long.

Her original home.

"All right, it's now or never! Professor, I'm counting on you."

"Right! Ve vill succeed!"

Gadget danced on one of the control panels, pressing buttons with her feet. A slot opened under the panel and tiny lever rose up from under it. On the other side of the bridge, Professor Von Drake did the same. An identical lever appeared.

The professor gripped the lever. "Preparing to pass through the vorld barrier in three."

"Two," said Gadget. "Launchpad, get ready."

"Aye aye!" Launchpad's hand hovered over a red button.

"Von!"

The levers were pulled. Launchpad slammed the button. The ship sprinted forward. For a split second, Kairi's heart flipped when she looked down and saw that she was standing over nothing. There was a golden flash, and the ship reappeared around her. The sky outside changed from the swirling colors and stars of interspace. Instead a gloomy, pink, perpetual sunset appeared overhead.

"It vorks!" Professor Von Drake gave Gadget a high five. "Vell done!"

A decrepit castle stood in the middle of a world of water. Kairi's throat tightened and she took in a shaky breath. Mangled pipes grew out of the castle like an infection growth, twisting this way and that. Steam fizzled out of the pipes' rusted holes. A heart shape, the same symbol that appeared on non pureblood heartless, towered over them. Built into the middle of the castle, half of the heart emblem looked like a layer of skin that had been peeled away, revealing the muscles underneath. The other half looked into the castle's clockwork bowels. Darkness coated the castle like a pesticide. Even from inside the ship, Kairi could feel its poison pounding on her head and its stale scent stinging her nose. Her breathing quickened.

"Hey," Huey pointed at something out of the window. "I see a town."

"A town means people. People means munny! Take us down, Launchpad."

"Yes sir, Mr. Mc.D."

Kairi kept her eyes on the castle as they flew past. Those old, forsaken walls were full of more then just darkness. Memories of Donald and Goofy's betrayal, of losing the keyblade and having to rely on Beast's strength, of fighting Riku, all while forcing herself to go on, to find...Kairi shook her head. Those weren't her memories. They were Sora's. She had been with him as he had climbed the castle. In his heart, she had been helpless, unable to tell him he would be all right, unable to scream at Riku for what he was putting the both of them through, unable to stop Sora from stabbing his own heart to set her free.

As the gummi ship began to descend, Kairi watched the castle move up to loom over them. For a moment, the sky turned dark, and Kairi felt pain rising up from somewhere deep within her. A dark and stormy night, screaming, running away from monsters in the dark, someone's low cackle, and...

Max put his hand on her shoulder.

"What's wrong?"

The ship landed in the town, surprisingly without a problem. Gadget jumped onto Max's leg and tapped her foot.

"Told ya. Lauchpad proof."

Just then the ship groaned, leaning to one side. Scrooge and Ludvig Von Drake smacked against the left window.

"Launchpad!" Scrooge growled.

"Oops!" Launchpad turned the steering wheel to the right, making sure ship, and everyone in it, level.

Max raised his eyebrows at Gadget.

"Always room for error," she shrugged.

"Opening the hatch," Launchpad announced. "You may disembark."

Scrooge and the triplets raced out. Following, Max and Kairi entered into a makeshift town square. Sections of the cobblestone roads were not yet lined, revealing the halfway done cement underneath. Several shops were nothing more then a booth and a skeleton of wooden beams. People carried around lumber, roof shingles, and bags of dirt.

In the middle of the town was a hot dog stand, and a line of muddy but excited construction workers. The sweet smell of sizzling sausages made Max's stomach growl. He joined the line while Kairi took in all the busy townsfolk that were hammering, plastering and painting new houses.

She paused by hole in the square. A man and a woman in overalls were down in the dirt, tightening bolts on a set of underground pipes. The workers turned a valve, and then water began flowing through the tiny fountains on the edges of the square. Kairi stared at the fountains. A familiar feeling filled her heart. She remembered flowers, whole patches of them, lovingly grown in flowerbeds all along perfect blue, purple, and grey cobblestone streets.

Max came back, licking his lips. "That was one good hod dog. Want one?"

"No thanks," said Kairi, not taking her eyes off the flower beds.

"What's up?"

"I remember this town. It was covered in flowers, like a garden."

Max looked around. "You sure? It looks like they just started building it."

"Well, maybe not this exact town, but one like it, from a long time ago, I think."

"You think?"

"I was born in this world." Kairi explained. "But I don't remember much. I'm getting bits and pieces here and there."

"Let's take a look around. Maybe you'll get a better picture."

Kairi and Max passed by a shop that looked suspiciously like a giant refrigerator. Scrooge and the triplets were there, setting up an ice cream stand. Scrooge haggled with the shop owner, while the triplets helped the workers pain the shop sign.

Behind the fridge was a set of stairs that led to the residential area. The houses in that part of town were more complete then the ones in the square, as were the roads. A large, red crane hovered over Kairi and Max's heads, making them feel like toys in a claw machine. Workers stood around wooden crates, arguing over blue prints.

A tall, muscular man and a girl were pushing a wheel barrow full of bricks in Kairi's direction.

"Maybe you should take it easy Cid," mocked the petite girl next to him. "This kind of work can't be easy on your bones."

The big, blond man clenched his teeth on the long twig between his lips. He glared at the girl. She back-flipped away. Landing on her feet, she put her hands on her hips.

"Calm down. I'm just worried about you."

"If yer not going to help me work, then go n' bother someone else."

"Ouch. So cold. I swear, you and Leon, so stiff."

The man returned to pushing the wheel barrow. Then he spotted Kairi at the bottom of the stairs. He dropped the wheel barrow on his foot. Wailing, he jumped up and down, holding his leg.

Kairi dashed forward. "Cure!"

The man's pained expression faded. "Thanks." He lowered his leg. "Wait a minute, now is not the time for that. What are _you_ doing here?"

"Nice to see you too Cid," Kairi smiled awkwardly. "Long time."

"You were supposed to go back to yer own world. Don't tell me the heartless are breaking down the walls again."

"Not exactly. My friends and I came here in a special ship that can pass through the world's protective wall."

Cid's eyes lit up. "Did you now?" He rubbed his hand on the stubble on his chin. "A ship that can pass through the walls of worlds. Where's yer vessel?"

"Upstairs, behind the town square."

Cid abandoned his cart, and raced up the stairs. Then it was the girl's turn to appear in front of Kairi's face.

"No way, it _is_ you! And Goofy too? Wait, no. You're not Goofy."

"No. The name's Max. I'm Goofy's son."

"Goofy has a _son_?"

Max's muzzle wrinkled. "Is that a problem?"

The girl waved her hands. "Not at all. It's just a surprise. Pleased to meet ya, Max. I'm the great ninja Yuffie."

Her intro done, she completely ignored Max in favor of throwing her arms around Kairi and giving her a good squeeze.

"I can't believe you're here!" She leaned back. "Is Sora here too? What happened? Did he defeat Ansem? I mean, we know he must have, how else would all the stars come back to the sky? But I want to know the details!"

Kairi laughed. On Sora's last adventure, she had barely met Yuffie in person and yet it still felt as though she were reuniting with a long time friend after summer vacation. Kairi looked Yuffie over, from her short, black hair to her yellow shorts. She hadn't changed a bit, all spunk and no shame.

"Sora's not here," Kairi explained. "I haven't seen him since he, Donald and Goofy restored the worlds. I came here for a different reason."

Yuffie put a finger to Kairi's lips. "Hold that thought. You've got to explain everything to the others. Come on!"

Yuffie led the way to a cottage. There was a short, round tower, shaped much like a wizard's hat, rising out of the house's red roof. Pushing the heavy door open, Yuffie shoved Max and Kairi into a messy room. Right across from the front door, was a massive computer, with several screens on wall. A young man sat in front of the keyboard, looking up at the screens. Yuffie put her hands on his shoulders.

"Squall! You'll never believe who's here!"

The man swatted her hands as though he were chasing away a fly. "It's Leon. Do you have to be so loud every time you enter a room?"

His voice was smooth and low, completely relaxed despite Yuffie's spastic pointing.

"Whatever! Look!"

Leon turned around and spotted Kairi. His serious features didn't show a hint of surprise. Meanwhile, a young woman with long, braided, chestnut hair stood up from behind a pile of books on the floor. She pressed her palms together, her green eyes dancing with delight.

"Kairi! You're here!"

"Hi Aerith."

Leon waved nonchalantly. "Hey."

Yuffie crossed her arms, curling her lip at him. "That's it? What happened to," her voice got low, "'We may never meet again, but we'll never forget each other?' Can't you show a little more enthusiasm? We thought we'd never see anyone from the outside world ever again!"

Leon sighed, leaned back in his seat, and rubbed the diagonal scar between his brows. Ignoring him, Aerith greeted Kairi properly.

"How did you get here? Oh! And you must be Goofy's son."

Max bowed.

"Are you here to keep Kairi out of trouble?"

"Keep her _out_ of trouble? Yeah sure. Trouble finds her."

"Don't mind him, Aerith. He's just mad that he can't beat me in a sparring match."

Max shoved Kairi's shoulder. "Pu-lease! Last I checked, you're at seven wins and thirteen losses against me. Plus, you can only beat me by using magic."

"Don't be such a sore loser Max."

"_And_ you've never beaten me when duel wielding."

Now that got Leon's attention.

"You use two swords at once? I'd like to see that in action."

Max grinned. "A duel? I'm down."

Smirking, Leon opened the front door. Outside, Kairi, Yuffie and Aerith leaned against the house, watching Max unsheathe his swords. Leon brandished a silver blade. A picture of a lion was embedded at the base of the blade. The handle resembled a pistol's grip. The hilt of the sword had a trigger guard and trigger, as well as a cylinder, hammer and part of a barrel.

Max pointed. "What is that, some short of blade gun?"

"Gunblade," Leon corrected. "Whenever you're ready."

Max charged.

While the two of them duked it out, Kairi filled Aerith in on everything she knew regarding the end of Sora's journey, how she escaped Destiny Islands, the letter from Yen Sid, and the heartless machine. Aerith listened patiently, without asking questions. That was Yuffie's job.

"Hold up. You're saying that somewhere in this world, there is a machine that's just randomly spitting out heartless?"

"Yes. Has there been a heartless problem in this town?"

"Sometimes," said Aerith, "but we've got it covered. Leon, Cloud, Yuffie and I take turns patrolling the town and destroy any we come across. There haven't been any major incidents."

"Don't jinx it." Yuffie covered her mouth.

"What about the castle? I noticed the town is a little ways off."

Aerith and Yuffie exchanged looks.

"We've been working to restore Hollow Bastion to what it was like before. And we've come a long way in such a short time."

Yuffie winked. "Yeah, everyone has been working super hard! Even Merlin uses his magic to help us out."

"Merlin's here?"

Aerith pointed over her shoulder to the house. "We use his home as a headquarters."

"And Cid's been working on a defense system to help protect the town from heartless."

"That's great, but what about the castle?"

Yuffie deflated, crossing her arms. "You tell her."

Aerith looked up at the sky, in the direction of the castle. "After the stars reappeared in the sky, more heartless then ever swarmed the castle. We had to evacuate. Since then, an impenetrable wall of darkness has kept everyone out."

"So it's been abandoned all this time?"

Aerith nodded.

Yuffie rotated her neck. "I still feel sore thinking about it. I've never seen so many heartless at once. There were thousands of them. They just kept coming. Almost like _that_ night." She shuddered.

"That night." Kairi repeated.

A dark and stormy night, screaming, her home falling apart, someone's low cackle, and monsters that appeared out of the shadows. Kairi shook her head, clearing away the memories. For now.

"The heartless at the castle, were they pureblood heartless? Or did they have the heart shaped emblem on them?"

"Now that you mention it, yeah. I haven't seen the little shadowy types around that much."

"The heartless machine must be in the castle. There has to be a way inside."

Max and Leon's duel ended in a draw. Resting his blade on his shoulder, Leon turned to Kairi.

"If you want to get in to the castle, check in with Cloud at the rising falls. He's been going there often. I'll lead the way."

Yuffie walked past Leon. "Great, let's go!"

"Oh no you don't."

He grabbed Yuffie's head, turning her around.

"You're staying in town."

"What? Why?"

"Someone's got to stay and defend this place."

Leon shoved Yuffie. She stumbled, stopping in front of Aerith.

Aerith leaned down, smiling into Yuffie's grumbling face. "Translation: that was an indirect compliment. He wouldn't have asked you stay if he didn't think you would do a good job."

Leon's only response to Aerith's comment was a quick, "hmph" sound.

* * *

The rising falls made Kairi dizzy. After following Leon through a series of limestone tunnels on the edge of town, they walked into the misty pit that sat under the castle. Water flowed along the walls of the pit, flowing up instead of down, making Kairi feel as though she were in a wet elevator that was always going down. Except they weren't moving at all.

Stone platforms floated in the air before them. Jumping from platform to platform, Max, Leon and Kairi reached the top of the pit. Standing between two stone pillars, they watched the ocean of still water before them. Though it was a ways away, rising out of the ocean, the castle loomed like a giant watching the insignificant ants at its feet. Kairi could feel the gaze of darkness on her. She pushed down the need to retch.

A young man and woman stood at the water's edge before them. Kairi recognized the young man. Though his outfit had changed from the last time she had seen him, switching out his blue uniform and red cape for a mostly black ensemble, Kairi recognized his spiky, blond hair and the thick, heavy, buster blade on his back. One of Sora's memories flashed in her mind. She remembered fighting the young man in Olympus Colosseum. Cloud.

A young woman that stood next to Cloud. Kairi was drawn in by the gentle smile in the woman's brown eyes. She wore a black, leather outfit and a matching set of gloves. Upon seeing Leon, she walked over.

"Not that often we see you around these parts. Something happen in town?"

Leon shook his head. "Any progress on the castle?"

"Nothing to report," drawled Cloud.

Kairi stepped forward. "Excuse me, Mr. Cloud, has any heartless come out of the castle?"

Cloud gave her a cold gaze.

"How do you know me?"

"You've met my friend, Sora."

His eyes rested on her face for a long second. "I see. So you were the light he was searching for."

Kairi blushed.

Max elbowed her. "Not that much fun when it's you, is it?"

Covering her face with one hand, Kairi pushed Max with the other.

"Cloud," the young woman admonished.

Cloud quickly turned to look back at the castle. Behind him, Leon crossed his arms and tried to act uninterested, but his the corners of his lips curled upward ever so slightly. Sighing, the young woman pulled Kairi's hand away from her face.

"Don't mind him, he's a little insensitive to these kinds of things. My name is Tifa. You were asking about heartless in the castle?"

Kairi could have hugged Tifa. Clearing her throat, she explained about King Mickey's letter and the heartless machine. When she was finished, Cloud and Tifa exchanged looks.

"That would explain why the heartless keep popping up in town," Tifa said.

"But how are they getting out? We've investigated every inch of the rising falls. The entire time we've been here, we haven't encountered a single one," said Cloud.

Max pointed to the water. "Can't we just get a boat and sail across?"

"Negative," said Leon. "The water may be slow here, but the current to the castle is too strong for any boat."

"Bummer." Max kicked one of the stone pillars.

Kairi stared at the spot Max had just kicked. Goosebumps rose on her arms. She pressed her hand on the pillar. The tingle of darkness zipped through her palm. She jumped, stumbling backward toward the edge of the platform. Tifa reached out, caught her arm and pulled her back.

"Are you all right? You're as pale as a sheet."

Kairi pushed away from Tifa's side. "I felt darkness."

Slowly, Kairi approached the pillar and put her hand on it. A cold tingle spread up her arm. She moved her hand down to the ground. The tingle was still there. She took off her boots and socks. Shivering, she felt the unmistakeable cold burn of darkness in her heels.

Leon, Cloud, Tifa and Max followed Kairi down the rising falls. She walked on the water, passing over the walls. The water sprayed on her face and shirt, but she ignored it, concentrating. Directly underneath the platform that faced the castle, she stopped.

"The darkness is strongest here."

"Get clear."

Everyone stepped out Cloud's way. He lifted his broad sword with both hands. After a mighty swing, the wall cracked. The blue stone crumbled away. A draft blew out from behind the water. Kairi put her hand through the waterfall. The other side was hollow.

The party stepped into a dark tunnel. On the other side, Kairi put her boots back on.

"Looks like we've found our entrance," said Cloud, turning to look at Kairi.

"W-what is it?"

"Nothing."

"Really, Cloud? You're going to creep her out. Just go ahead and tell her what's on your mind."

Cloud ignored Tifa, walking ahead.

"That guy," Tifa sighed. "He's like a cat: you have to wait for him to come to you. There's a soft side in there somewhere. He's just too proud to say that he's impressed."

Kairi pressed her lips together. "He reminds me of a certain someone."

"Me?"

"Max, you're a total softie. Like Sora. No, Cloud reminds me of Riku. Hard shell on the outside, soft on the inside."

"What is he, an egg?"

Tifa laughed. "I like that. Yep, a total egghead." Cloud's voice echoed from up ahead. "Are you going to stand around gossiping or are we going to start this mission?"

Leon tapped Kairi's shoulder. She turned to see that he hadn't crossed the waterfall into the tunnel.

"Good luck," said Leon.

"You're not coming?"

"Someone's got to stay in the rising falls, to make sure no heartless come out of this tunnel. Watch out for each other."

"Okay. Thanks."

As they walked through the tunnel, Kairi whispered to Tifa.

"I can see how he and Leon could get along. Mission comes first."

"Workaholics more like," Tifa giggled. "It wouldn't hurt either of them to open up a little."

The tunnel was a narrow, dark line, forcing the party to move single file. It smelled of rain and stone. The scent swirled around Kairi, reminding her of a storm. In her mind, rain fell from the sky in thick sheets, flooding the gardens and the town. People screamed as they were washed away, vanishing under the black water and Kairi watched it all, frozen in place, even though she knew she should be running, but from what? She couldn't remember.

Kairi stopped walking, making Max crash into her. Before he could complain, he looked over her shoulder. Up ahead was a long spiral staircase. The party climbed. At the top of the stairs were a pair of massive double doors. Cloud and Tifa pushed them apart. For the first time in a year, Kairi walked into the great hall of the castle.

Instantly, she remembered protecting Sora from the heartless and returning him to his true form, but then another memory flashed. She was small. She was playing in the great hall. A kind voice called out to her, a voice that Kairi sometimes heard in her dreams.

The memory was interrupted by Cloud, and Tifa's echoing footsteps as they inspected the hall. The only light in the dim, cavernous space came from the massive, ornate chandelier hanging from the ceiling. The room was painted in gloomy, earthy tones, which, to Kairi, felt just wrong. Though hazy, she remembered this room being a lot brighter, full of townspeople and happy researchers, chatting about library books and making requests for the wise man that led them. She remembered someone's soft, wrinkly hand holding hers. She remembered asking so many questions, and having each of them patiently answered by a pair of soft voices. She remembered-

A wolfish face appeared in the middle of the hall. Then a bulgy heartless appeared right behind it. The heartless raised the wolfish face into the air like a shield, letting out a silent roar. More shield baring heartless appeared, along with floating witches and wyverns. They packed the room like sardines, surrounding the party.

Max and Kairi darted forward, to fight, but never got the chance. Cloud flashed from one place to another, stabbing anything that was in his path with his sword's sonic power. While he was busy slicing through whole armies of heartless, several of the flying wyverns appeared over his head. Before Kairi could even think of summoning magic, Tifa jumped and kicked the heartless so hard, that all five of them slammed against a wall, bursting into dust.

Cloud was a heaver hitter, obliterating anything that was dumb enough to gather in one spot, but his speed was nothing compared to Tifa, who sprinted all over the great hall, punching, kicking, somersaulting, stomping and throwing heartless around like baseballs, all while Max and Kairi stared with their jaws on the floor.

"She fights with her bare hands," Max whispered.

"With her _bare hands_," Kairi repeated.

"Mega cool," they said together.

It took Cloud and Tifa five minutes to get rid of the hordes. Dusting off her hands, Tifa gestured deeper into the castle. "Shall we?"

"Yes, ma'am," Kairi and Max said eagerly.

The party entered the library and spread out, looking for clues. Along the back wall of the library were a set of golden windows. A staircase sat in front of the windows, leading to the second floor. Under the staircase was a reading table and a chair. Kairi stared at the empty seat.

"_Long ago, people lived in peace, bathed in the warmth of the light_."

Kairi closed her eyes. She could hear her grandmother's voice, clear and soft.

"Everyone loved the light," Kairi recited her grandmother's story. "Then people began to fight over it. They wanted to keep it for themselves. And darkness was born in their hearts."

A book lay on the table. Kairi opened it. She recognized the words on the first page. She had read them before, on someone's lap, in that very seat.

"_What are you reading Kairi_?"

"_This book is like Grandma's story. What are you reading?_"

"_It's a complicated book. I don't think you'll understand it. There are no fairy tales in here._"

"_Is is a book for smart people? If I read all the books in the library, will I be as smart as you are one day?_"

There was a loving chuckle. "_Perhaps._" Then there was a sigh. "_Perhaps you are better off not being like me. Knowledge can be a tempting curse_."

Kairi dropped the book. Her memory flashed forward, to another time, to another room, a wide room, with books thrown all over the floor, funny looking diagrams on the chalkboards behind the desk, and papers upon papers of notes, all written in his neat handwriting.

She wasn't supposed to be in there. He didn't like it when she entered without permission, but she just couldn't resist looking at all the pretty lights. They floated like glowing jellyfish in the cylindrical tanks all around the room. She sat under one of the tanks, mesmerized by the glowing, heart shaped lights inside. They shined a brilliant pink, gold and silver, making her chest feel warm, almost like-

"_Kairi! You know better then to play in here!_"

A cane slammed down next to her.

Kairi stood, bowing her head.

"_But, Grandpa-_"

"_No excuses. This is no place for children._"

A pair of wrinkled hands pushed her out of the room. Before the door closed behind her, Kairi turned, watching her grandfather sit at his desk. He turned something, and the wall behind him twitched. The door closed before Kairi could see anything else.

The memory faded from Kairi's mind. She snapped back into her body, watching the ceiling getting closer and closer. She was falling, falling, falling until her world completely faded.

A warm hand on her forehead woke her up. Max and Tifa's faces appeared overhead. Kairi pushed their hands away and couldn't hear their questions. The memories pounded on her head, forcing her to remember. She had loved to play in the library, loved to climb the book shelves like she were a gorilla in the jungle. Once, she had been climbing and her foot slipped. On the way down, she had grabbed a pink book and pulled it out. A secret door had opened. The next thing Kairi remembered was walking down a dark passage.

Kairi waved off Max and Tifa's concerns. "I'm okay. I just need to find," she looked around, "there!"

Kairi climbed the bookshelf that faced the stairs. The pink book was exactly where she remembered it. She pulled it out. Down below, there was a groan of wood and metal. Max and Tifa tensed, but relaxed a moment later when Cloud called.

"Over here!"

Following Cloud's voice, they discovered a bookcase that had been pulled away from the wall like a open door. A whistling draft came from the dark passage behind it. Cloud tilted his head at Kairi.

"Nice job," he grunted.

He went on ahead.

Tifa winked at Kairi when she passed by. "He's warming up to you."

The passage was long. This time, the damp smell of earth and mist reached Kairi's nose. She wobbled. Max caught her shoulders, steadying her, and Kairi had no choice but to lean on him for a moment, as another memory banged inside her skull.

Grandpa would be mad if she went down the secret passage again, but for some reason, Kairi couldn't help herself. There were whispers, calls from deep within the passage, like a lullaby that Kairi couldn't help but listen to. She followed the sweet voices, but when she entered her Grandpa's messy office, all the heart shaped lights in the tubes were gone.

Something ducked behind Grandpa's desk. Getting on her hands and knees, Kairi peaked behind the desk. A dark creature, with yellow eyes, peered back at her. Curious, Kairi reached out, to touch it. A mouth opened wide and nearly bit off Kairi's fingers. Yelping, she ran. Out of the tunnel, back into the library, and into her grandmother's arms.

Kairi couldn't breathe. Her heart hammered against her lungs as she gasped. Max fanned her face.

"What's wrong?"

Tifa knelt down and put her hands on Kairi's shoulders. "Breathe in for five seconds, hold your breathe for two, and then breathe out again, five seconds."

Kairi did as she was told, and slowly, her breathing eased, but her heart did not relax.

Cloud crossed his arms. "This is too much for you. Go back and wait in the library, we can go investigate on our own. Max, can you keep her company?"

Kairi let Max hold her arm. He took one step back toward the library and Kairi pulled her hand away. The library was safe, far away from her memories and the horrible truth. She could pretend like nothing happened, go back and be protected till it was over, and let other people pick up her slack.

"No," Kairi bit her lip, facing Cloud. "I'm going."

Cloud smiled for a second. Then he continued on ahead.

"You sure you're okay?" Max asked.

"My memories. Everything's coming back. It makes me sick."

Max looked concerned.

"I want to keep going," Kairi urged him. "I don't want to run away. Not again."

"Again?"

"I've been in this tunnel before."

Max went behind her. "If you feel out of it, let me know so I can catch you before you face plant the floor."

Despite the ice gnawing at her heart, Kairi giggled. "Well, aren't you my knight in shining armor."

"You know it."

Max pushed her down the hall. Now, the smell of ash reached Kairi's nose. Another memory triggered. She had been awakened by a nightmare in the middle of the night. Running to her grandmother's room, Kairi had heard muffled voices from the beyond the door. Then there was shouting, but Kairi couldn't understand the words. She felt the air around her shift, closing in like a tightening fist.

Something was behind her. Turning, Kairi screamed. It was the dark creature from her grandfather's office and there were more of them. Lightning flashed from the windows in the hall, illuminating the creatures' writhing bodies and the thorny hearts on their chests. They pounced.

Kairi ducked. The creature slammed into her grandparent's bedroom door, slashing it. The door openned. Kairi's grandmother appeared. She scooped up Kairi, and ran down the castle's dark corridors to the great hall. There were more monsters there. A dark shadow appeared over her grandmother's shoulder. Kairi sobbed, hiding her face in her grandmother's neck.

Grandmother turned, faced the robed creature, and let out a horrified gasp.

"_Ansem, what have you done?_"

"_I've brought upon the only truth. All worlds begin in darkness, and all so end." _The sleeve of his brown robe lifted._ "Give her to me_."

Kairi's eyes were swollen with tears. "_Grandpa? Why do you look like that?_"

Grandmother ran to a wall and pushed a switch. A passage opened. She pushed Kairi through it. "_Run and don't look back!_"

The door closed, trapping Kairi in darkness. She stumbled through the torchlit tunnel, the lights flickering off one by one behind her, until she ran out into town. The storm ripped the flowers out of their beds. The townsfolk screamed, running away from the same monsters that had been in the castle. The creatures rained down from the dark clouds above, washing people away in a black flood, tearing out the same glowing, heart shaped lights she had seen in the tubes.

Her grandmother's words echoed in her head. "_The darkness spread, swallowing the light and many people's hearts. It covered everything and the world disappeared._"

The creatures surrounded Kairi. Her back banged against the castle gates. The creatures twitched, reaching toward her.

"_But small fragments of survived, in the hearts of children_."

Something glittered overhead. Shooting stars rained down through the clouds above. "_So listen child, even in the deepest darkness, there will always be a light to guide you_."

Kairi reached toward the sky, trying to grab one of the stars. The creatures were closing in.

"_Believe in the light, and the darkness will never defeat you._"

Kairi closed her eyes, willing a star to shine her way. She could feel the creatures' breathe on her skin. She wished for a safe place, far away from the darkness, someplace with children, someplace she wouldn't be alone. Her feet left the ground, she was blinded by light. The star came down to her hand and Kairi closed her eyes, forgetting everything.

* * *

Kairi snapped back to the present. Her eyes stinging, she ran, passing Cloud and Tifa. She got to the end of the tunnel and entered the office she had seen in her memories. The tanks were completely obliterated. Broken glass shined all over the floor. Papers, yellowed and ripped with time, crunched under her boots. The desk lay on its side, the wood splintered and decayed, yet Kairi felt magnetically pulled to it, her hand reaching out with a force she could not stop. An hourglass lay under the desk. Kairi turned the glass over so that the white sand fell into the empty glass on the bottom. As the sands fell, they changed color, from white to dark purple.

Wind whispered on the back of Kairi's neck. The back wall crumbled, piece by piece, like the sands falling into the lower glass. Passing through an archway, Kairi entered a large, round room, and froze. Behind her, Max, Tifa and Cloud entered. She heard them gasp, but she did not need to see the matching sets of horror on their faces for she could not tear her own eyes away from the image before her.

A massive tank was suspended from the ceiling. Hearts glowed inside the glass, packed and smashed against each other, covering every inch of the tank. They were squashed through long, thick, pulsating tubes into metal pods full of darkness. There was a gurgling, bubbling sound, like a predator tearing into a piece of meat. Then, claws scratched at the inside of the pod. A pair of yellow eyes peered through the glass, before they two were pushed down through another set of tubes into the floor.

Kairi watched the heartless move through the tubes with disgust. The ground beneath her feet was crisscrossed with throbbing pipes. She could feel the scratching, struggling monsters moving under her feet like living waste being passed through an intestine.

Fury and shame pulsed in Kairi's veins. "This is the machine. We have to destroy it!" Kairi spread her feet wide. Her anger sizzled through her body. Fire blazed between her fingers. Kairi aimed at the tank. "Firaga!"

The spell zoomed across the room. A black stripe poked out from between the pipes on the floor. It swiped at the spell, evaporating it into smoke. Then the stripe curved, flashing forward. Kairi and Max jumped back just before the stripe stabbed into the ground they had been standing on mere moments before. The stripe bugled and pulsed, the hard edges rounding out. The tip popped out from the ground, revealing a stinger that was dripping with dark venom. Another stinger poked out of the pipes, and then another, and another, until there were thirteen. Black claws sliced through the tubes below.

Countless emblem heartless rose up from the floor. Kairi raised her arm and roared.

"Thundaga!"

The lightning slashed through the heartless, but between the strikes, the stingers moved forward, nearly poking into Kairi's neck. A giant sword appeared before her eyes, shielding her. Cloud pushed the stingers back with his buster blade, slicing through a tail as he did so.

More heartless came out of the pipes. Max sprung into action, cutting the heartless into quarters with his swords. Tifa charged, waving through the stinger tails. She got close to the machine and smashed one of the dark pods with her fist before the stringer whacked her across the stomach, throwing her back. She skid back, still standing, her hand covering her stomach.

"The tank! We have to destroy the source!"

Heartless burst through the floor, grabbing Tifa's legs, jumping on her arms and shoulders. Tifa spun, round house kicking the heartless off. She pummeled one group of heartless, and then the next, and the next. Max and Cloud cross slashed through the heartless but were unable to move toward the tank. Kairi ran around the room, ducking, dodging and frying heartless with fire spells to get close to Max.

"I need to get closer to that machine! Turn me into a pinball!"

Max froze in the middle of stabbing a heartless. "What?"

"Good reflexes, remember?"

Max's ears shot up.

"Got it. Get ready!"

Max swung his swords at her.

"Reflect!"

Max's swords slammed onto Kairi's protective sphere. She rocketed across the room, trampling heartless. The stingers slammed down onto her shield, but Kairi rolled close to the machine, and let the shield drop.

"Kairi!"

Max's sword flew through the air. Catching it, Kairi stabbed into one of the pipes the hearts were pushed through, but then something jammed into her arm. Burning magma pumped into Kairi's veins. Yelping, she pulled the stinger out, stumbling back. A purple bruise sent fire into her arm.

Seven stingers appeared over her head, only to crash onto Cloud's sword. While he pushed the tails back, a heartless swiped Kairi from behind when she wasn't looking. Turning around, she slashed it with Max's sword. Down below, the giant claws reappeared, snapping more pipes, releasing more heartless.

The tails swept Cloud and Kairi back, away from the machine and right into the swarm of heartless. Kairi threw up a shield around herself and Cloud.

"We can't keep this up forever," she panted, casting a healing spell on her arm. The black mark faded from her skin, but her energy drained from the healing magic.

"You're right," said Cloud, handing Kairi an ether. "Tifa and I will distract the foot soldiers. You and Max focus on the leader."

Kairi downed the ether. The shield fell. Cloud jumped onto the heartless, sawing through their ranks with his blade. Just ahead of him, Tifa kicked a whole section his way, and he flipped in the air, bringing his sword down hard on their heads. Meanwhile, Kairi threw her arm in the air and chanted.

"Thundaga!"

Her spell cleared the area around her, obliterating the small fry heartless and letting Max run to her side. Without saying a single word, both Max and Kairi flashed forward, cutting off each stinger until only one remained. A claw appeared below Kairi's feet.

"Reflect!"

The giant claw clamped down around her glass, squeezing, cracking the shield. Max ran forward and sliced the claw off. There was a roar from under the pipes. Max had to jump back just as the floor exploded and a giant, black and purple scorpion climbed out. The heartless emblem glowed between its multiple eyes. Its last remaining stinger slammed into the tank, drawing in the hearts. The scorpion's body throbbed, its claws and stingers regenerating.

Then all thirteen stingers, from every angle, flew at Max and Kairi. Quickly, Kairi threw a shield around herself and Max. The scorpion grabbed the magic ball and lifted it, holding it in front of its many stingers, ready to strike the second it went down. The claws squeezed through the glass. Max stabbed the pincers the moment the glass broke and the creature pulled back.

Kairi took the chance.

"Waterga!"

A tidal wave pushed the scorpion back. It banged against the tank.

Max jumped forward and stabbed the heartless emblem between the creature's eyes. It thrashed, one of its claws clamping down on Max's leg. It threw Max across the room, flattening him against the wall. Kairi then yelped when she felt something on her wrist. The heartless lifted her up and splattered her back down onto the pipes. She felt her lungs slam into her spine. She hacked, pulling her arms and legs close.

Turning on her back, Kairi summoned all her energy and directed it at the heartless.

"Firaga!"

The spell hit the scorpion's eyes, and it rolled, trying to rub the fire off.

"Reflect!"

As the heartless flailed about, it kicked Kairi's ball. She rolled, getting close to Max. Pushing away the pain, Kairi healed the both of them. The last of Kairi's magic faded away like a candle being blown out. Ahead of them, the scorpion regenerated again and stalked forward.

More heartless burst out of the pipes. All around her, the darkness' pressure pulled down on her muscles and bones like weighted sand bags. Kairi trembled, barely able to stand and lift her sword. She pointed it at the creeping heartless and scorpion.

"I won't give up. I will put an end to my grandfather's mistakes right here, right now!"

Trembling, Max stood back to back with her, aiming his sword as well.

"I'm with you. All or nothing!"

Max tapped her sword with his. Fiery energy slammed into Kairi from their combined blades. Max's courage mixed with a pulsing, electric power in Kairi's heart. She imagined their training room back at Disney Castle, taking down Julius together, all their sparring and bantering, Max's jokes, his loyalty, his trust in her.

"_Your heart will shine with its power and push the darkness away_."

Max and Kairi raised their swords and screamed their spell.

"HOLY!"

A silver blade of light glowed above them. They brought the blade down on the scorpion, burning through it, the tank, the smaller heartless and the pods on the machine. The heartless roared back, its claws and stingers sliced off. Holding hands, Max and Kairi vanished from one end of the room only to reappear in another. They separated, vanishing and reappearing, cutting the heartless from every angle before they reunited again to deliver the final blow from above.

A massive blast of light grew out from their attack, smashing the pipes and the heartless below. The light grew, melting away any heartless that was still in the room, freeing the trapped hearts inside the tank, and completely disintegrating the remains of the machine into dust. When the whiteness faded, Max and Kairi lay on the floor, gasping.

"Ah-yuck! That was awesome! I've never done anything like that! It was like I passed a limit I didn't know I had! What did you do? What did I do?"

Kairi could barely lift her hands. She stared at her shaking palms. "I have no idea. It was like when Oswald and I blasted a hole through the realm of darkness. Is this my power as a princess of light?"

"Who cares? We did it! Mission accomplished! Great work, partner!"

Max held up his sword. Kairi tapped it with hers.

"Not your student anymore?"

"You got the moves, just need to master them."

Kairi laughed. "Finally! Some actual praise!"

* * *

Cloud and Tifa carried Kairi and Max back to town. They regrouped with Leon, Yuffie, and Aerith in front of Merlin's house. After a few intensely powerful healing spells from Aerith, Kairi and Max were able to stand.

"Should have seen the two of them," Cloud nodded at Max and Kairi, "pretty impressive."

"Wow. Cloud, you actually gave a compliment," giggled Aerith.

Tifa snorted. "You missed his protective, big brother routine. Poor Kairi, she so confused."

While the two ladies surrounded Cloud on either side, teasing him, making his fidget, Leon spoke to Kairi.

"So, the machine was completely destroyed?"

"Yes. There shouldn't be any more new heartless and I'm sure you can keep the infestation at bay until the keyblade master gets here. What about in town? "

"No heartless whatsoever," chimed in Yuffie. "Thanks to me. I made sure to ninja slice any that popped up."

"Good work," said Leon.

Yuffie's eyes widened. With a grin, she waved at Aerith and said, "Hey, I think the direct compliment thing is catching on."

Cloud sighed and Leon covered his eyes in annoyance. All the girls giggled. When the laughter faded, Kairi turned to stare at the castle in the distance. The touch of darkness was still there, but it was weaker, a spark compared to the wildfire before.

Aerith came to stand next to her. "What will you do now?"

Kairi shrugged. "My mission here is over, but I still have to find my friends."

"And after?"

Aerith offered a comforting smile and then bowed to Kairi.

"Tifa said you mentioned a grandfather during the battle. That man wouldn't be Ansem, now would it?"

"So you figured it out." Kairi looked out at the town. "Things should be easier to rebuild now that there's less darkness around. You could even return the castle to the way it was before."

"If we do, will you come back to lead us?"

Kairi looked down at the floor. "I need time to think."

Something shined in Kairi's pocket. She reached in and pulled out Yen Sid's letter. It glowed, melting into a silver star that zoomed up from between her fingertips. The star shot through the air like a comet, leading into town. Kairi moved to chase after it but then paused to look back at Aerith.

Holding out an ether, Aerith winked. "Go. I'm sure Leon and the others can take care of things here until you make up your mind."

Kairi threw her arms around Aerith, squeezing her tight. "Thank you!"

Taking the ether, she raced after the comet. It floated between the houses and stopped in an alley. Turning the corner, Kairi skid to a stop and then all the warmth she had felt moments ago fluttered away. Slowly, she stepped forward and knelt down, her hand trembling as she reached for something on the floor.

Max stumbled into the alley behind her. "Why'd you run off? What's going-"

He looked over Kairi's shoulder.

"Where did that door come from?"

Kairi looked up. A pristine, white door gleamed in front of her. Standing, she faced Max. He stared quizzically at the broken weapon in her arms.

Kairi displayed the broken halves of the weapon, and then showed Max a star shaped charm. "This is my lucky charm. I gave this to Sora. And this is his keyblade!"

Max paled. "Why is it broken?"

Kairi wasn't listening. Her fingers tightened around her star shaped charm." Sora would never willingly let go of this. Something has happened to him!"

Max pointed. "The door is fading away."

Kairi turned sharply. The white door was fading in and out, like a dying heartbeat. Pressing her lucky charm and Sora's broken keyblade to her chest, she gave Max a tearful look.

"I'm sorry."

Kairi lunged at the door, threw it open and ran into the light.

* * *

_**Jiminy's Journal**_

Cid (First Appeared in Final Fantasy VII, 1997): Grumpy but kindhearted, Cid is a scientist that lives in Hollow Bastion. A self-proclaimed expert on gummi ships and inter space travel, he's absolutely enthralled by the idea of a gummi ship that can pass through worlds. Wonder what kind of crazy contraptions he would come up with if he works with Gadget and Professor Von Drake.

Yuffie (First Appeared in Final Fantasy VII, 1997):A confident, hardworking, and energetic girl that has no problem making new friends. At times though, her cheerful nature annoys the more serious members of the Hollow Bastion team, especially Leon and Cid. Nevertheless, you can always count on her to come through in a pinch with her ninja skills.

Leon (First Appeared in Final Fantasy VIII, 1999): Weider of the gunblade, Leon leads the Hollow Bastion team in restoring the town. He's a withdrawn, serious man that shoulders a lot of responsibility. Though he may be quiet and introspective, he cares for and respects his team greatly.

Aerith (First Appeared in Final Fantasy VII, 1997): A young woman with a strong will and a lot of patience. She serves as Leon's counsel and acts as the emotional core of the team, holding them together and cheering them on. She is skillful at reading people and uses her intuition to tease or guide them.

Cloud (First Appeared in Final Fantasy VII, 1997): Though he can be as serious as Leon, Cloud is more the "go out there and get things done" type than the leader type. He has a strong sense of focus, especially on missions, but has a hard time showing affection for those he respects. However, he will protect and care for others in his own way, which leads to a lot of teasing from both Tifa and Aerith.

Tifa (First Appeared in Final Fantasy VII, 1997): A brave yet gentle woman that seems to know Cloud rather well. Her nurturing nature draws people to her. Don't be fooled though, she is a fierce warrior that is not afraid to throw down if it means protecting her friends.


	29. Chapter 28: Deep Dive

**DISCLAIMER**: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy or any of the Disney/Square Enix characters that appear in this work. Please support the original releases.

**A/N**: This may be my favorite chapter so far. Out of everything I had written for this story, this was my first idea, years ago, when I was still a kid waiting for KH2 to drop. Hope you enjoy, because I loved writing this one.

* * *

**_Chapter 28: Deep Dive_**

* * *

Kairi crashed onto a cracked, marble floor. Sitting on the cold surface, she waved her hands to ease the stinging in her palms. Looking around revealed a few things. First, she sat at the top of a staircase in a white and grey room that looked as though someone had released a raging hurricane inside it. Second, the room only had three walls. The missing wall opened out into a dark city, letting in a breeze of wet concrete, rain and, Kairi stiffened, darkness. It wasn't just outside. The darkness coated the cracks, craters, and dents all over the room like the residual stink of an oil spill.

Kairi stared at the two halves of the keyblade. Resting on the floor right in front of her knees, the two pieces looked grey and worn. Pocketing her good luck charm, she picked up the two halves of Sora's weapon and held them close to her chest. They burned, white hot. Hissing, Kairi dropped the two halves, watching them float upward. They glimmered, and vanished. Kairi panicked. Then she froze.

A soft, buttery warmth lit up in her heart. She sat still, letting the feeling spread from her chest to her head and down to her toes. The weapon, or was it weapons, rested in her heart.

Kairi walked to the missing fourth wall. Standing on the border between the white, damaged room and the city beyond, she reached out to put her hand under the rain. Her fingers pressed onto something cold and hard. There was a magical spark, like one of her reflect spells. Stepping back, Kairi threw several fire spells at the barrier. They bounced off the invisible wall.

Silver words appeared in the air before her eyes.

_ Only those that don the garb of the prisoner may pass. _

Something black appeared overhead. A leather coat fluttered down from the ceiling to land perfectly in Kairi's outstretched hands. She put on the cloak, pulling the dark hood over her head.

"Here goes."

Carefully, she extended her leg. Her boot splashed into the puddle on the other side of the barrier. After taking several steps in the rain, Kairi turned. The white room was gone. Only the silent city streets were behind her. There was no going back.

Lonely, hollow buildings towered over her. Flashes of lightning glared off the windows. The flickering neon signs blurred through the storm haze, reflecting in the puddles on the concrete. Kairi pulled her hood lower, down over her eyebrowns. The city lights glared into her eyes, an unnatural, a sad imitation to lure one in and destroy them, like moths to a flame. The wind felt like a warning as it whispered in her ears. Even with her cloak, Kairi's skin prickled. In the ripples below her feet was the sizzle of darkness. An echo followed her footsteps. She felt the breathe of darkness on her back.

Kairi turned sharply. The misty streets were empty, and yet she still felt a evil gaze directed her way, as though the abandoned buildings were watching her. There was darkness everywhere, but it wasn't concentrated yet. It was waiting, for the right moment. Careful not to let her guard down, Kairi walked as though suspecting nothing, yet her hand clutched her lucky charm, and she felt the keyblade inside her glowing, ready.

She paused in a square. The sound of static caught her attention, and she looked up. A skyscraper watched her. The top of the building had screens. A shadow moved over the roof. Kairi narrowed her eyes. An aura of loneliness and regret floated down from above, as well as a feeling of...hope?

The echo was back. Kairi returned her attention to the water on the concrete. All around her, black ink spread under the puddles. Wide, unblinking, yellow eyes appeared in the darkness. Writhing neoshadows rose up from the ground. The army of heartless surrounded her, waiting, hungry.

It was now or never.

Kairi took a deep breathe, reaching into the light of her own heart. Like unleashing a pair of swords, Kairi summoned a pair a keyblades, one silver, one black. One a keeper of oaths, the other an invitation to oblivion. She twirled and crossed the two blades against each other, resting them next to her hips.

"Where's Sora," she growled.

The heartless did not answer. The raindrops slowed, the storm clouds above parted to reveal comets flying through the dark sky. Fueled by her fury, a glowing, heart shape appeared on the ground around Kairi's feet. The light woke the heartless. They pounced.

Kairi swung the two keyblades, slicing the first heartless into quarters. Just as it burst into nothing, the other heartless charged at her from all sides. Kairi spun, rotating each blade in her hands. Basics, just as Max had taught her, but it was absolutely devastating for the heartless as she minced and diced them one by one. For every neoshadow she felled, another melted off the building walls, rose up from the floor, fell down from above, surrounding her.

Kairi jumped away, falling back. Her back hit the glass doors of the sky scrapper. She raised the keyblades, getting ready for the next round. The neoshadows crept closer, blending together like a black avalanche that was ready to bury her alive.

The sound of ocean waves at sunset.

Kairi stilled, looking up.

The heartless charged. Kairi ducked, jumping onto a pillar near the building's entrance. Before she lost her momentum, she ran up the side of the building. Heartless appeared overhead, and Kairi threw the dark keyblade, watching at it razor sliced through the heartless. Someone appeared behind the slain creatures.

A cloaked person fell from the top of the roof. He caught the keyblade on his way down. When he passed her, Kairi's heart leapt up into her throat. Surprised, she lost her momentum and her feet slipped. She landed behind the stranger. Back to back, they raised their half of the keyblade. Without a word, her new, or was it old, companion fought the heartless at her side.

* * *

Riku's hands and knees splashed into a puddle. His new cloak felt heavy, and he gasped. The air felt thin, barely rejuvenating his lungs with each sharp inhale. Behind his blindfold, his eyes widened so much that they stung.

Mickey's hands were on his shoulder.

"Are you all right?"

Riku shook his head, trying to clear away his shock, but his racing thoughts were as loud as the thunderstorm overhead.

"It can't be. There's just no way." Riku stood. "Mickey, go ahead without me."

"But-"

"Don't worry, I'll find you, I promise. There's just something important I have to check."

Mickey squeezed Riku's arm. "Be careful."

"I will."

He raced back through the city, jumping from roof to roof until he stopped on a skyscraper that overlooked a square below. There was a light in the square, one so powerful and familiar that Riku's chest ached with longing.

Through the rain and mist, a scent reached Riku's nose. The salty, crisp air of the sea filled his mind. Everything around him slowed. Riku pulled the blindfold away from his eyes, unable to believe it, or dare to hope it was true. But the light was indeed below him, and she was slicing through the darkness one by one.

He could feel her jumping and dodging, swinging a light weapon in one hand and a dark weapon in the other. How? Was this a trick? A phantom created by his memories and hopes? Footsteps reached his ears. She was rushing up the building. A heartless appeared between them. She threw her weapon and the heartless burst into dust.

Riku jumped off the roof. He grabbed her weapon in midair. As he passed her on his way down, her light collided with his. It _was_ her!

Landing on his feet, Riku raised his new weapon and was greeted with another surprise. A keyblade? She landed behind him, and he found that he didn't have time for questions. The heartless clawed and kicked at him. Riku fought fought beside her, cleaving through heartless, until there was utter silence. Except for his thoughts, which raced with questions, excitement, and fear.

The sound of her footsteps stopped right behind him.

Turning around, Riku heard the shuffling of fabric. She had pulled her hood down. He didn't need to see in order to know who stood before him.

"Kairi? How are you here? I thought I told Sora to take care of you. Don't tell me he-"

She flashed forward and jabbed him hard in the chest with her finger.

"I don't need anyone to 'take care' of me! You. Big. Dumb. MORON!"

Riku stumbled backward, putting up his hands. "Whoa! I didn't mean it like that! J-just calm down for a second!"

"No, I will not calm down!"

Poke.

"Ow!"

"I have so many things to say about all the stupid," poke, "_stupid_," poke, "stuff you did on Sora's last adventure!"

"Y-you know about all that?"

She stomped forward and he felt her face right in front of his.

"Of course I knew, you idiot!" She hissed. "I was in Sora's heart the whole time!"

"Kairi, I'm sorr-"

"Did you really think that fighting Sora was a good idea? Huh? Did you seriously believe that everything you did 'to save me' would make me happy? Huh? You did the exact opposite of helping, you jerk!"

Riku bowed his head. "You're right. I let my jealousy and fear control me. I really messed up. I don't even know if I deserve-"

She slammed into his chest. Riku, winced. Kairi threw her arms around his waist, sobbing.

"I though I'd never see you again, you dummy! Do you know how worried I've been? The last time I saw you, you were nothing but a ghost keeping Ansem away! How was I supposed to know what happened to you? I thought you lost your heart!"

She squeezed him as though she couldn't believe he was real. Riku stiffened. Anger he had been prepared for, but this was way worse. How long had he wandered the darkness, hoping that someday, just once, he'd get to see his friends again? He had practiced apologizing a thousand times, had wondered how he would show his face again to the people on the islands, had questioned if he even wanted his friends to find him, and now that they had, he had no idea what to do. So he settled on patting Kairi's head while she cried.

She had grown since the last time they had met. Her hair was longer, down to her shoulders. Her voice had lost its giggly ring, and she now carried a power that rivaled his. Even standing there, feeling her warmth, being surrounded by her light, and thrown by her fiery temper, he couldn't believe she was there, and, better yet, that she still cared about him after everything that had happened.

Kairi let him go.

She cleaned her nose with her sleeve, clearing her throat. "I'm so glad you're okay."

"Well, more or less," Riku said.

"What do you mean?"

She learned toward him. He heard a gasp and then felt her hands on his cheeks.

"You're eyes have been touched by darkness."

Riku nodded. "I can't see anything anymore."

"Why?"

"It's the price I paid for using the darkness."

He felt a tingle of light from under Kairi's fingertips. She grunted.

"I can't fix this. It's permanent."

"It's okay," Riku said, gently pushing away her hands. "I'm okay. I knew what I was getting into. I've accepted it."

"But wait, how were you able to fight?"

"I'm in complete control of my own darkness now."

Kairi stepped back. "I thought I felt a hint of it in your attacks."

Riku clenched his teeth. Cold fingers squeezed his heart. "Don't worry. I'm not using any darkness except my own."

"Not controlling the heartless anymore?"

"No. Never again."

"Good."

"I'm sorry."

"For?"

"Giving in. I had a choice. I could either let my fear of the darkness control me forever, or I use it, but without letting it take over me and affect my judgement. I know that's probably not something you'd be proud of."

Kairi walked around him. He held his breathe, waiting for a lecture, disappointment, more pokes, anything. Finally, she patted him on the shoulder.

"It it seems like you've changed a bit since leaving the islands."

The ice around Riku heart melted, just a little. "You think?"

"Yeah, you're less focused."

"Oh."

Kairi huffed. "It's a compliment. You've always been like that, the responsible one. Always setting a goal and doing everything to get it. Maybe now, after you've made all those stupid mistakes, you can be more flexible." There was a smile in her voice. "More balanced. That's how you found me, isn't it? You use the darkness, and the light to sense things, right?"

"Right. Darkness has increased my senses. I caught your scent on the breeze and followed it. I don't know how you got here but I'm really happy to 'see' you."

Kairi giggled.

"Though I'm probably going to have a permanent fingerprint on my chest now."

"Oh, I could do way worse then a few pokes," Kairi warned, twirling her weapon in her hand.

"But the way," Riku said as he ran his fingers over his own keyblade, "why do you have a keyblade." He held up the dark weapon in front of him. "Scratch that, how did you get _two_ keyblades?"

Kairi reached out and tapped his keyblade with hers. A rush of energy zipped up Riku's arm just as she did so. The dark keyblade in his hands burned. A blast of warm wind threw him to the floor. Kairi yelped as she too was knocked down. Even though he couldn't see the light flash, he felt its heat on his face. Then it was gone and a familiar shape landed in Riku's lap. Still reeling from the sudden attack, Riku could only move his hands over the object on his thighs. He gasped.

"This is Sora's keyblade! How did you get this?"

Kairi crawled over to him. "No way? We fixed it? How? Oh, who cares! It's fixed!"

"Wait. It was broken? How do you break a keyblade?"

Kairi didn't answer. She took the keyblade, and then helped Riku to his feet.

"Again, who cares?" She danced around. "We just have to get this back to Sora."

"He's here?"

"He is." Kairi held the keyblade close to her chest. "He has to be."

Riku's vertigo passed, and the distant, ever lingering feeling of darkness returned. "Well, if you don't mind the company, can I help you find that lazy bum?"

Kairi bumped his shoulder with hers. "You can serve as my backup."

"Wow, aren't you confident. Also, since when did you learn how to fight? That was amazing!"

"What? You really think I stayed on the islands, patiently waiting this whole time?"

Riku chuckled. "Clearly not. Those were some sweet moves. And you've gotten taller."

"Still not as tall as you," she retorted. "And nice try, but I'm still mad at you."

"Can you at least tell me who taught you how to duel wield?"

"Goofy's son."

Riku's forehead wrinkled. "Goofy has a _son_?"

"Yes. His name is Max. He's pretty cool, actually." Kairi sighed. "And I owe him a huge apology. Okay, you're completely forgiven, Riku."

Riku's heart flipped, warmth tingling in his chest. If he had pixie dust, he would have flown. He pulled his hood over his face, but he was sure that Kairi already saw the glimmering in his eyes.

"T-thank you."

* * *

The rain stopped. Mickey looked up at the clouds, watching the shooting stars fly over the rooftops. He stood at an intersection of alleyways. The stars pointed toward the path to his left. Gripping his keyblade tight in his hand, he entered the alley. The air shivered behind him and his sensitive ears picked up a rumble from deep within the earth. Mickey jumped, flipping in midair as a giant, thorny, decayed, spike ripped out of the ground, nearly skewering him.

"Triple firaga!"

The spell charred the dark vines, but more broke through the buildings all around him. Mickey flipped in midair. The vine flew underneath him. Landing on it, he jumped to the next vine when it attacked, climbing higher and higher as more thorns broke through the windows. Mickey weaved through the glass and thorns, reaching the roof.

Darkball and shadow heartless were ready and waiting for him when his feet touched down. Spikes burst out from the walls of the building, trapping him in a thorny cage. The heartless surrounded him. Mickey ground his foot on the roof, concentrating on the light within himself. The heartless flashed forward to try and swallow that light.

Mickey stabbed the first heartless and easily sliced through the next three. Jumping back from a barrage of claws and teeth, Mickey raised his keyblade. Seven shining orbs of light zoomed out, smashing into the heartless, turning them into dust. More shadows and darkballs appeared. Mickey prepared for the next round, when, suddenly, the heartless behind him were smacked up into the air.

Turning around, Mickey spotted a shield ramming through the dark bodies. There was a furious yowl and then lightning crashed down on the darkballs. Mickey swore he saw a familiar mage's staff. The shield drew his attention. It barreled toward Mickey, then spun around, like a tornado, knocking heartless away.

Mickey couldn't help but laugh.

The shield stopped spinning, and then Goofy, his eyes still rolling in their sockets, collapsed at Mickey's feet.

"Oh, hey there, Your Majesty," Goofy moaned from the ground. Then his eyes focused and he did a double take. "Your Majesty!"

Before Mickey could react, Goofy picked him up, squeezing him. A second later, Donald jumped onto Goofy's back, quacking happily as Goofy jumped up and down.

"It's you! It's really you!"

Mickey reached over Goofy's shoulder and clasped Donald's hand. "How dog! I missed ya, fellas!"

Goofy, still bouncing, sobbed. "I knew it! Ahyuck! I just knew we'd see each other again!"

Donald couldn't contain himself. He vigorously shook Mickey's hand, bawling.

"Your Majesty! You're safe! You're here! I can't believe it! I was worried we'd lost you to the realm of darkness forever!"

Mickey, grinning stupidly from ear to ear, lifted his keyblade in the air. "All for one."

"And one for all!" Donald and Goofy echoed, banging their weapons against his.

The heartless scratched at Goofy's legs, as though annoyed that they were being ignored. Not missing a beat, Goofy threw Donald and Mickey up into the air. Lifting his shield, Goofy bulldozed through the heartless while Mickey and Donald bludgeoned the heartless in the air with light and thunder magic.

Donald was the first to land back on his feet. His threw up his fists.

"Confounded heartless! Always ruining the moment!"

He turned into a bowling ball of unbridled rage, trampling down the heartless with his staff and magic, while Mickey and Goofy watched with matching grins. Donald's rampage cleared a path, and soon the trio found themselves at the thorny barrier. Mickey and Donald held out their arms and Goofy flopped to lie horizontally between them, holding his shield above his head.

"CHARGE!"

Using Goofy like a battering ram, Donald and Mickey smashed through the thorns, slipping off the side of the building. Up above, the heartless jumped off the roof, falling after them.

Perfect.

Goofy threw his shield. It pin-balled between the heartless, bursting several at once and confusing the others. Then Donald and Mickey aimed and shouted.

"Thundaga!"

The lightning shot upward like a thousand harpoons, zapping the heartless into pieces. The trio were several feet away from the splatting against the concrete. Just as Goofy caught his shield, Donald turned in midair, aiming at the ground.

"Aeroga!"

A sphere of wind cushioned their fall. Landing safely on the ground, Mickey, Donald and Goofy jumped, giving each other a high five, which was quickly ruined a second later when a group of neoshadows melted out of the walls. Before the party could fight, a series of dark firaga spells burst through the neoshadows, destroying those closest to Mickey, Donald and Goofy. A moment later, a magic, glass ball rolled past them.

Kairi popped out of the glass, raised her arm, and shouted. "Waterga!"

A tidal wave washed away the heartless. They flowed down the alleyway toward Riku, who dispatched them easily with quick keyblade slashes. Mickey's jaw dropped at the sight of the weapon, but grunts from Donald and Goofy made him turn back around. Instantly, he forget all the questions he had. Kairi had gathered up both Donald and Goofy for a fierce hug.

"It's been so long! It's great to see you!"

Donald, his beak smushed against Kairi's arm, flapped his arms. "Put me down! Put me down!"

Kairi let him go in favor of grabbing Goofy's hands and jumping up and down. "You're okay! Max will be so happy!"

"You know Maxie? How is he?"

"Only the best sword instructor ever! He's been worried sick about you, even if he won't admit it. And he finally got a date!"

Goofy teared up. "Gee."

Kairi let him go, looking around. "Where's Sora? He's not with you?"

Donald and Goofy hung their heads. Sensing their pain, Mickey put his hands on Donald's shoulder and Goofy's arm.

"What happen to him?"

"An evil man named Marluxia took 'im. We've been searching the city, but there's no sign of him."

"Stupid Sora! He just had to go play hero!" Donald crossed his arms and tapped the floor with his flipper, yet his eyes were full on concern.

Riku leaned against the building, a nostalgic smile on his face. "Yeah, that sounds like him."

"Say Riku," Mickey said, "where did you get that keyblade?"

"This is Sora's," Riku explained.

Kairi raised her hand. "I found it. Max and I also destroyed the heartless machine you wrote about in your letter."

Mickey blinked. "Wait a minute. I wrote that letter for Donald and Goofy. How did you-" Mickey smiled, rubbing his forehead. "That Pluto, always wanting to play and wondering off. He found you?"

Kairi nodded.

Mickey bowed. "From a king to a princess, you have my humblest thanks."

Kairi stumbled back, awkwardly bending her knees in a rushed curtsy. "No, no, I don't deserve all the credit. Queen Minnie, Daisy, Max, Mr. McDuck, and Mary all helped too."

"Uncle Scrooge helped you? For free?" Donald hid his hands behind his back. "And Daisy, how is she?"

Kairi bit her lip. "I think you might have some apologizing to do."

Donald shuddered.

"It sounds like you've all had quite the adventure," Riku said. "But can we talk about it later? We've got to find my best friend and Kairi's crush."

Kairi pouted at Riku. "What? He's not my-okay fine, you meanie, you're right. He totally is."

Donald, Goofy, and Mickey looked at each other, covered their mouths, and giggled.

"Sora is a lucky guy," said Goofy, "to have such good friends."

"And such a nice sweetheart," Donald winked.

Kairi glared at Riku. "Is it too late to un-forgive you?"

Riku burst out laughing.

"Man I miss messing with Sora," Riku wheezed, "he'd be turning all kinds of red."

"Yeah, ahyuck, he'd be stammering all over the place."

Donald snickered. "And getting that dreamy look in his eye."

Mickey sighed. "Gosh, I miss Minnie."

Kairi pulled her hood down over her face. "Oh hush, all of you!"

She only made them giggle harder. She opened her mouth to say something but then felt a tingle of warmth. Leaning forward, she pointed at the rocket shaped pin that was on Donald's shirt.

"I can feel the light."

Donald took off the pin. "From this?"

"Say, isn't that the pin that Cornelius gave us? Didn't Sora have one too?"

The pin shined. The party huddled around Donald, watching as the pin floated up from between his fingers. It glowed in the air for one second before it zoomed off.

Mickey ran. "Quick! After it!

The party chased the tiny rocket through the city. Heartless poured out of the buildings, getting in their way.

"Everyone, get close," Kairi commanded.

She threw a reflect spell around them. They spun in the class ball, running over heartless. The glass popped after one too many heartless speed bumps, but the party didn't stop running. The further they ran, the more the world around them fell apart. The buildings crackled and crumbled. Chunks of concrete, hot, electrical wiring, and metal beams rained down from overhead, slamming into the ground, nearly slicing, tripping, or flattening the party into pancakes. Mickey and Donald blasted away the debris with magic. Kairi and Goofy defended the party from the glass knives that stabbed into the ground.

The buildings bent forward. Like trees tipping over, they thundered onto the ground. The ground cracked and then broke apart. The party sprinted, running from the deep hole that was growing behind them. The heartless chasing them vanished into the darkness below. Breathless, they did not stop, running through the deadly rain, reaching out toward the pin's light.

Up ahead was a tangle of thorns. The pin flew right through it. Riku used the darkness to flash forward ahead of everyone. With a dark fire spell, he blasted a hole through the horns. The atmosphere popped and sizzled, the buildings burst apart, the floor slipped away from their feet. The party dove through the tangle of thorns, ignoring all the scratches on their arms and legs.

There was nothing on the other side. The pin stopped glowing and fell into a great, dark, chasm. Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Riku and Kairi fell after it.

* * *

Icy water licked Kairi's cheek. Whipping sand off her face, she sat up. Alone on a dark beach, she watched the waves lap peacefully, too peacefully, onto the obsidian sand. Black boulders, with shining white veins, poked out of the dirt. Kairi sat down on one of the rocks, staring out into the moon that hovered over the dark water. Stone arches rose out of the endless sea, curving over the waves, framing the moon like a star trapped in a thorny cage. The sea mist smelled like nothing, but try as she might, Kairi could not stop staring out into the water. There was a tiny flicker of light out there. It was so small that she could barely sense it. But there was also a darkness so powerful, that Kairi felt the weight of a thousand bricks pressing down on her spine.

She heard footsteps coming her way, but she didn't turn. The light out in the water was getting weaker. Someone came to stand at her side, watching the sea with her.

"Do you sense it too?"

Riku's voice.

Kairi went to the shore and stepped onto the water. She walked over the bottomless sea toward the moon, listening to the splash of her footsteps, the howling wind, and her own quickening heartbeat. Riku walked silently at her side. Up ahead, under the sharp, stone arches, was a sphere of swirling darkness. There was a figure inside.

"Sora!"

Kairi and Riku ran.

The sphere of darkness shuddered. Black oil dripped off of it and into the ocean. Arms burst out of the depths below. Neoshadows rose up between Riku, Kairi, and the dark sphere.

"A princess of heart," said a smooth voice,

A man in a dark coat floated down in front of the moon. His shadow loomed like an evil curtain over the water, hovering over Kairi and Riku.

"I'm guessing that you're Marluxia," Riku said.

The man ignored him, his eyes not moving away from Kairi's face. "So it is possible after all. If the princesses of heart can enter the realm of darkness, then it really can be destroyed." He extended his hand. "Come."

Kairi wrapped her arms around her stomach. "You. Oswald told me about you. A great man that once tried to destroy the realm of darkness, but failed and was sealed away."

"You are correct."

"How? That was a long time ago."

"It matters not. You will join me, or," he snapped his fingers. The dark sphere collapsed, tightening around Sora's body.

"Stop!"

Riku growled. He flashed forward, slicing through the neoshadows. He lunged at Marluxia. A weapon flashed in Marluxia's hands, slashing Riku across the chest. He fell. Catching Riku, Kairi fell onto her knees.

"Cura!"

Riku opened his eyes.

Marluxia's cruel laughter hovered over their heads.

"Why resist, princess? Do we not want the same thing? To rid the worlds of all darkness."

"No. Messing with things that are out of our control is the very thing that destroyed my grandpa. I won't make the same mistake."

"Force it is then."

Marluxia snapped his fingers. The neoshadows lunged. Kairi pulled Riku to his feet, but they weren't fast enough to counterattack. The neoshadows blended together over them, creating a dome of darkness that was quickly getting smaller and tighter. Kairi closed her eyes.

Lightning flashed above. It slammed down onto the neoshadows, bursting them one by one. Goofy and Donald ran to Kairi and Riku's side, waving their arms.

"Hey, you big palooka! Didn't anyone tell you that nobody messes with my friends!"

Goofy clenched his fists, glaring. "You call yourself a great man and yet you prey on other people's feelings? You're a coward!"

Marluxia gave the pair of them a look of cool contempt. He raised his arm.

"Such foolishness."

Mickey materialized behind Marluxia. He swung his keyblade. Marluxia vanished, reappearing further into the sea. His eyes narrowed, focusing on Mickey's keyblade.

Landing in front of Kairi and Riku, Mickey pointed to the dark sphere.

"Get Sora. We'll hold him back."

Donald raised his staff. "Blizzaga!"

Icicles stabbed the neoshadows from above. Those that remained were quickly squashed by Goofy's as he stomped around with his shield under his feet. The knight and mage joined their king while Kairi and Riku raced to the sphere holding Sora captive.

Kairi reached into the dark smoke, crying out as the darkness stabbed her skin like a million icy needles. She refused to pull her hands back, pushing deeper into the sphere until her fingers curled around Sora's pinky. Riku reached into the sphere next to her, grunting as the darkness slid up his arms. Lines of back ink appeared on his face.

"Riku, stop! We don't know what more darkness will do to you!"

"You think this is bad, just think of what it's doing to him!"

Riku grabbed Sora's wrist. "Come on Sora! I know you're stronger then some lame dark spell! Wake up!"

The sphere expanded, creeping up to Riku and Kairi's chests.

"You promised me you'd come back to me." Kairi reached deeper, grabbing Sora's arm. "Don't you dare break your promise!"

The darkness had now reached their necks. Kairi and Riku screamed as its cold touch stole their breathe. Grunting, Kairi grabbed Riku's hand.

"Do you trust me?"

"One hundred percent."

"Good, because I have no idea what I'm doing!"

The darkness choked her. Riku squeezed her hand back. He coughed, his eyes fluttering. Calling on her light was like swimming through a frozen lake. She fought against a dark current that threatened to push her down into the depths. Even as her legs numbed, her skin burned, and her lungs filled with water, Kairi broke through the ice, and took a deep breathe of light. She reached toward Riku heart. He pushed through the ice as well. His faith, unbreakable will, and loyalty collided with hers. The light overtook them.


End file.
